Returning Relations
by Dejichan4444
Summary: COMPLETE! We all thought that Yuki was the only one with a haunting past, but we were wrong.... Someone from Shuichi's past has returned, and he's determined to see Shuichi. Shuichi is afraid of him, but why? READ AND REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody! This is my second story! YAY! It's one that I've been wanting to write for a while. The idea has been nagging me since two weeks ago, but I've been busy with my other story. The first chapter of this is sort of boring, except the end...

Yeah, I'm gonna have more fun torchuring Shuichi! - Goodie! I'm really nervous about this, but I'll survive... I hope it's not _that _bad... Hey, I tried, okay?I've also had trouble concentrating.How can I concentrate on angst and drama when my cute cousin keeps sayin, "Da-da!", while tilting her head and smiling? HOW?I can't write sad stuff when she's so cute!Oh, NO flames, please! I like constructive criticism, though. Flames don't help anybody,but suggestions improve people's writing! Thank you! -bows- I'm glad that you are reading my story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. -cries- Do I have to keep saying it? -cries louder-

_Returning Relations_

Chapter 1: The Phone Call

Shuichi Shindou yawned and stretched. He rubbed his eyes and looked around lazily. He was on the couch, not the comfy bed. Shuichi sighed and yawned again. He gazed over to the clock. The blinking numbers read: 9:02AM. Shuichi sighed in relief.

'Good, I woke up on time' he thought. 'I set the alarm clock on fire yesterday, and it broke… How did I mistake the clock for bread? I must've been tired… Well, I'm just glad that I have an automatic clock in my head! Yay!' Yuki hadn't been happy when he saw the alarm clock on fire, let me tell you… Shuichi had then tried to set an alarm on the bigger clock, but he almost broke it. And then Yuki got mad again.Shuichi then gave up and fell asleep anyway. He was too exhausted to be worried.

Shuichi rolled off of the couch, still not fully awake. He mumbled something about not having enough days off and attempted to stand. The first few times, he fell. But finally, he could stand up straight. 'Off to the shower!' he thought. Shuichi took a long, warm shower. (A/N: Don't be a pervert! Think happy thoughts!)

After Shuichi exited the shower and dried off, he picked out some warm clothes to wear. Yuki had yelled at him the day before because he wore shorts and a T-shirt. It was February... 'It's not that cold…' Shuichi thought angrily. His stupidity was endless. 'And why does he care, anyways? I know he likes the shorts better than sweats!' Shuichi grinned mischievously.

Shuichi quickly got dressed. He grabbed some cereal from the cabinets. He chose Cheerios, and chose not to get milk for it. He knew that he couldn't have Cheerios with milk for breakfast if he was running. It was too messy and spilled often. So, he grabbed the bowl and headed out the door.

"BYE YUKI!" Shuichi yelled. "I'LL BE HOME SOON!" He ran out the door before he could hear the novelist's cusses. Shuichi hopped down the steps and on to the street. Business people walked by, determined toget to work an hour early to impres their bosses. (Or at least some of them were doing that...)Shuichi looked both ways before crossing the street. He ate some of his Cheerios as he did so.

Shuichi walked down another block, looking at the candy shops and toy stores. Shuichi saw NG in the distance. He finished up his Cheerios with one swallowand raced to the building. He opened the doors and flew up a few flights of stairs. He saw his recording room and walked inside it.

"LA LI HO!" Shuichi cheered as he slammed the door open. Fujisaki, Hiro, K and Sakano were there to greet him. Shuichi placed his empty bowl on the table to be thrown away by the workersand walked over to Hiro. "Hey Hiro, what's planned for today?"

"Oh, we just have to finish a few recordings" Hiro said casually. "You know, the usual." Hiro sighed and tuned his guitar. Fujisaki tested out the sound of the keyboards. K loaded his gun, just in case certain band members decided to be lazy. He "encouraged" them with his darling guns all the time. There wasn't a day that he forgot them, much to Bad Luck's dismay. Sakano circled around the room, screaming and worrying. Finally, he ran into a wall and passed out. K thanked god. Hiro andFujisaki ignored it.Shuichi sweat dropped.

"Oi Shuichi, get to the mic!" Hiro called. Shuichi nodded and walked over to the mic. He looked at Hiro and Fujisaki. "We're ready. Sing the first song, Beloved, okay?" They were making a new album called, "Endless Love". So far, it had twelve songs, and a million people already pre-ordered it. Shuichi remembered the time when they thought a million was a lot. The CD wasn't even released yet and they reached their old goal.

"Sure" Shuichi replied. Hiro started playing the guitar while Fujisaki played the keyboard. He began singing once the intro was over. "Beloved" was Shuichi's favorite song on the CD. Obviously, it was about Yuki.

A few hours later, Shuichi collapsed to the ground. Hiro panted and Fujisaki looked the same. "K, can't we have a break?" Shuichi asked with a raspy voice. K shook his head sternly."Or can I at least get a drink of water? My throat hurts…" K considered the second option and frowned.

"Hurry up, get water" K said. "You've got thirty seconds." Shuichi gasped and rushed out of the room to the water fountain. He drank as much as he could before K said, "Ten more seconds, Shuichi." Shuichi sighed and get ready for another three hours of non-stop singing.

Finally, K said that Bad Luck could leave. Fujisaki was angry, because he wanted to work a little bit more. Sakano was just as nervous as before, still running into walls. Hiro was relieved, because he had a date with Ayaka. The more time he had to get ready, the better. Shuichi was overjoyed because he could get away from K, and he could glomp Yuki. 'What could be better?' Shuichi thought. 'Life is perfect!' He smiled and waved goodbye to Hiro.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Shuichi called. "Good luck with your date!" Hiro turned dark red. He was still a bit shy about dating Ayaka. He was completely in love with her, but he wasn't sure she thought the same. He was always nervous during dates, trying to impress her. She did come from a wealthy family, and was expected to be treated nicely, or so Hiro believed.

Shuichi chuckled and raced out of NG, humming a song as he did so. His thoughts traveled to Yuki, his lover. Shuichi sighed dreamily. 'Everything is just perfect…' he thought. 'I have to get to Yuki! YAY!' Shuichi hurried to his apartment, smiling.

"I wonder if Yuki's still mad at me…" Shuichi thought uneasily. He hated when Yuki was mad… "Nah. He probably forgot about it by now. Besides, he's almost done with his story! It might actually be on time for once!" Shuichi smiled again. "And then he has a week off to spend time with me! YAY!"

"Omigosh!" a girl squealed. Shuichi turned to see who it was. Thesqueal was very loud.Itcame froma blonde girl with a red, long-sleevedshirt and skirt on. She was talking to another girl, who was obviously interested in what she was saying. "Did you read Yuki Eiri's last novel?" The word 'Yuki' got Shuichi interested. He listened in on the conversation, pretending to be looking into a store window.

"Mm-hmm!" the other cried. She was a brunette who wore a simple shirt and jeans. "It was so beautiful! I mean, how does he do it? His stories are so wonderful!"

"I know!" the blonde exclaimed. "And his endings are tear-jerkers, every single one of them! This time, the girl goes into a coma and the guy stays by her bedside until he dies from depression! It was so heart-wrenching! I cried, like, a zillion times!"

"So did my mom and me!" the brunette added. "We were hugging each other and everything! I can't wait until the new one comes out! The title, Unbreakable, already had me go lovely-dovey! I already pre-ordered it!"

"So did I!" the blonde agreed. "I wonder what it'll be about. Man, they should totally make his books into movies! They'd be so awesome! I'd be first in line for every single one of them!"

"I know" the brunette said.She looked into a store with slightinterest. Suddenly, she pointed to the window of it."Hey, look over there! It's an 'I love Yuki Eiri' shirt! Let's go buy it!" The blonde nodded in agreement and followed the brunette into the store. Shuichi smiled. 'Yuki's all mine' he thought. 'I'm so lucky! I guess I should be glad that he has so many fans, though, too!'

Shuichi continued on his way to the apartment. He skipped along the street, admiring every tree and shop. Finally, he saw the greatest sight of all, Yuki's apartment. Shuichi had hearts in his eyes. He slowly drifted away from reality.

Shuichi snapped back once he heard an old lady scream about a chicken. He ran up the steps quickly and searched his pockets for the keys. Once he found them, Shuichi turned the lock and the door clicked open. Shuichi grinned and walked inside.

"Yuki, I'm home!" Shuichi called. He slipped off his shoes and waited for a response. 5...4...3...2...1...

"Whatever" Yuki growled from inside his study, right on cue. Shuichi rushed into the study and gave Yuki his daily glomping. Yuki growled and pushed Shuichi away. "Can't you see that I'm working brat? Or are you more of a handicap than I thought? First you're stupid, and then you're blind!" Yuki was one of the people who though being stupid was a disability that some couldn't overcome. He believed that one of those people was Shuichi.

"Yuki, that's not nice" Shuichi pouted. He looked at the laptop with dismay. "Are you ALMOST done?" Yuki sighed and nodded.

"I'll finish sooner if you leave me alone" Yuki breathed. Shuichi sighed sadly and nodded. He walked back to the couch and turned on the TV. "Oh, and brat, someone called for you today."

Shuichi sighed. He knew it was probably Ryuichi, asking to play, or something like that. He hoped it wasn't Tohma, because that automatically meant bad news. He took a deep breath and asked, "Who was it?"

Little did Shuichi know that Yuki was about to deliver horrible news, something that Shuichi so desperately tried to forget. All those years of fear were coming back to haunt him, and only because Yuki said one sentence. One sentence changed Shuichi's life.

"Well, the guy said he was your dad" Yuki said nonchalantly. Shuichi gasped with horro.Everything around him froze like an icicle. All he could think was, 'No, no!' Tragic memories flashed through his usually happy-go-lucky mind.

A/N: MUWAHAHAHA! It's a cliffy! (I apologize that it's short... ) Ooh, I bet you guys are all interested now! I mean, I bet youguys have azillionquestions!(Or so I hope!) Why is Shuichi so afraid? And what will Yuki think? Hmm... You'll find out soon! I won't update until I get five reviews(not flames), or more, so READ AND REVIEW PLZ! (Once I get five reviews, I'll update ASAP. I'm still working on Lies, Deceit and Unwanted Pain, so be patient!If I get more than five, I'll update REALLY quick!) Here's my stupidity unleashed (I'm practically talking to myself in it. You might be entertained, though...) :

Deji: YAY! I started another story! And it's bad! -cries-

Yuki: I know that.

Deji: I know that! You don't have to remind me!

Yuki: I know that, too. -smiles smugly-

Deji: -cries- WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Shuichi: -hugs Deji and glares at Yuki- Be nice, Yuki, or I'll make dinner! -gets mischievous look in eye-

Yuki: -shudders- Okay... I'll be nice...


	2. Chapter 2 Pt 1

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! -dances- You guys have NO idea how happy I am! See, whenever I tried to upload a document, it said this:This request takes too long to process, it is timed out by the server. If it should not be timed out, please contact administrator of this web site to increase 'Connection Timeout'. (This isn't mine.I don't own this...)

I was soooooo angry! (I kept telling everyone that I wasn't a happy cookie!) I tried getting it to work from 10:30PM last night to right now! I was so frustrated that I PMed almost everyone I knew to help me! Thanks to all who tried to help me! I'm sorry I didn't update right away, but there was nothing I could do except yell at my computer... Which I did, of course! -

Oh, and I'm also happy because I thought I'd get five reviews an hour ago! I got sixteen! I was so glad and I personally thank all my reviewers! You guys rock! I love you all! (You know what I mean)

Okay, hmm...what else? Ah! This is a very long chapter! The action hasn't even started yet, though! -smiles evilly- Oh, just to let you know, I can easily hate fathers because I hate mine. TT I kinda knew exactly what Shuichi was thinking and wondering about... Well, anyways, thank you all so much for being patient with me! I dedicate this chapter to Kaina Kingdou (sp?) because she gave me advice as to how to get my document manager to be nice. I took her advice, and it worked! YAY!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. -cries- But I will some day, when I rule Thailand and New Jersey!

Last Chapter: "Well, the guy said he was your dad" Yuki said nonchalantly. Shuichi gasped. Everything around him froze like an icicle. 'No' Shuichi thought. 'No, it can't be. It can't be…'

Chapter 2 Pt. 1: Shock!

Shuichi didn't say anything. He just slumped back on to the couch, hoping Yuki would drop the subject. Sadly, Yuki didn't. He raised his brow and walked over to Shuichi.

"Oi brat, are you going deaf or something?" Yuki demanded. He put his face in front of Shuichi's, demanding an explanation. Shuichi didn't say anything. He stared at the walls, hoping to escape reality. "Hello? Shuichi? Wake up!" 'Oh, I wish I could just disappear' Shuichi thought.

"Oh, hi Yuki…" Shuichi breathed, not even looking at Yuki. "What do you want?" he asked politely in an innocent voice. Yuki stared at Shuichi and frowned.

"I just said that your dad called" Yuki reminded his lover. He glared at Shuichi. Shuichi made no response whatsoever. "Are you listening to me?" he demanded. Shuichi nodded wearily.

"Yeah, I'm listening…" Shuichi said sadly. "Go on…" He regretted what he said almost immediately.

"Well, he said that he wanted to see you" Yuki continued. Shuichi cringed. Yuki was a bit confused as to why Shuichi was acting so strange and quiet. It was quite un-Shuichi like, and Yuki was unnerved by it. He shrugged and continued. "He wanted to know if you could meet him at seven o'clock tomorrow at the café. I told him that I'd tell you when you came home. I said I didn't care if you did, either."

"Oh…" Shuichi said. 'How did he get my number?' Shuichi thought nervously. He fidgeted in his spot. 'Oh no, what will I tell Yuki? I know, I won't act worried! Maybe my dad has changed… Hah! Yeah right…' "What number did he use?" he asked flatly. Shuichi tried to act interested. He was failing miserably and he knew it. He just hoped that Yuki would ignore it.

"Oh it was a Tokyo number" Yuki replied, eyeing Shuichi suspiciously. "Is there something you want to tell me?" He had a gut feeling that something was up… His gut never steered him wrong… Then again, he only had gut feelings once per year. Shuichi shook his head.

"No, it's just that…" Shuichi said. He made up an excuse in the moment and tried it, hoping it would fool Yuki. "Well, I haven't seen my dad in awhile. I'm just a bit surprised." 'It's no exactly a lie…' Shuichi thought. 'I haven't seen him in awhile, and I'm surprised. So, I'm not lying to Yuki No, not at all…Why did I sound like I'm trying to convince myself?' Shuichi bit his lip.

"Oh, okay" Yuki said. He seemed satisfied with the answer, sort of. "I'll give you the number so you can call him back, okay?" Shuichi nodded uneasily. 'Yuki's being awfully nice today' Shuichi thought. 'I wonder why...' These thoughts gave him a moment away from reminders of his dad.

"Oi brat, here's the number" Yuki called. A piece of paper was thrown to him, and thankfully he caught it. Shuichi groaned and looked at the number. Yuki was right. Shuichi had been hoping that Yuki was lying or something, even if Yuki would have no motive to do so. 'He's LIVING here, in Tokyo?' Shuichi wondered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'It's okay' he assured himself. 'Everything is gonna be okay… Just take a deep breath… When I open my eyes, this will all be a dream, no, a nightmare…'

"Uh….Shuichi?" Yuki asked. He sighed and once again walked over to his lover. "You can't call him if you don't have a phone, ya know." He handed Shuichi the phone. Shuichi nodded and opened his eyes. 'Nope, still there…' he thought miserably. "Baka" Yuki muttered.

"….Yeah…" Shuichi said, sounding distant and deep in thought. Yuki didn't like when Shuichi was thinking, because thinking wasn't Shuichi's best subject. It usually led to weird conversations that were utterly stupid and pointless, like, "Are marshmallows made in marshes?" or "Do giraffes ever eat pandas?" (Yes, Shuichi had asked those questions before…)

"Are you gonna call or not?" Yuki demanded. He was getting worried now… Shuichi was acting so weird and quiet! It was weird to even say Shuichi and quiet in the same sentence, unless you were demanding him to be quiet! Shuichi sighed at Yuki's demand.

"Yeah, I'll call right now…" he whispered. He looked at the paper and started dialing. He sighed as the phone started to ring. Satisfied, Yuki left the room and retreated to his study. Shuichi flinched when someone answered the phone.

"Hello?" a voice asked. It was cold, but warm, and evil, but kind. It was the voice that made Shuichi shake with fear. He knew it well, in all of its forms. He hadn't heard that voice in years, but Shuichi remembered it as if his dad spoke to him yesterday.

Shuichi's mouth became very dry. He was very afraid and nervous. He couldn't speak. He gulped and tried to concentrate. "Hello?" the voice repeated. "Who's there? Don't be shy!"

"Uh…it's Shuichi" Shuichi mumbled, finally finding his voice. He started shaking again. "You…uh…called earlier today, or so Yuki said." Shuichi decided to keep talking. If he talked, his dad couldn't, and that made him feel better, safer.

"I was at work, 'cause, ya know, I'm a rock star and stuff" Shuichi continued. "And my band mates were being slow, so it took me awhile to get back. And some girls bumped into me, and… I got home and Yuki told me you called and gave me your number."

"Whoa, slow down!" his dad said, chuckling, almost evilly. It was like he had an evil plan and was just waiting to unleash it into Tokyo. "Who is this Yuki character? Is he the one who answered the phone?"

"Uh, yeah!" Shuichi said. "He's Yuki Eiri, the famous novelist…" His dad cut him off before he could start babbling again.

"Oh, I see" he said. His father didn't seem surprised that he was talking about the famous novelist, which confused Shuichi. "Would Yuki mind if I stole you tomorrow at seven o'clock? It'll be at the café."

"Uh, I don't know…" Shuichi said softly. He was shaking again, and everything was spinning….

"Well, when I told him on the phone, he was okay with it" Shuichi's dad urged. "He'll say it's okay. Don't even ask him again, okay?" Shuichi was getting annoyed at the angel-mask his father was wearing. It was making him nervous and uneasy; well, it was making him MORE uneasy and nervous. His stomach did some back flips.

"Okay" Shuichi answered weakly. "I won't…" He hoped that Yuki wouldn't ask him something about that. After all, Shuichi was a bad liar, as Yuki always said. And Yuki was always right.

Shuichi gulped and resisted the urge to hang up the phone. His gut was telling him to, but a little voice in his head was saying no. And he hadn't thought things through, so he kept talking. His teeth were chattering by the time his father replied.

"Good, 'cause I haven't seen you in ages!" his father said. "I've missed you so much! I can't wait to see you! You're a rock star now, the famous Shuichi Shindou! I knew you could do it! And I'm living in the same city as you!" He paused. "Shuichi, I've changed. I really have. And I'm sorry about what happened before…" Shuichi cut him off immediately, choosing to ignore the "sorry" part.

"T-t-that's good…" Shuichi said shakily. He didn't truly believe his father for a second, but he chose to say he did, just to help slowly convince himself He doubted the latter would happen, but he would try.

"I-I'm glad you did" Shuichi said, practically repeating himself. He paused, trying to think of what to say. He wished he could just hang up the phone so that he could get away from this problem, but he knew that his father would call him back several times if he did. And Yuki would make him talk to his father, because he was trying to work, not listen to the phone ring. Shuichi had thought things through, and he found no exits to his dilemma. He sighed wearily.

Shuichi was trapped. He tried to escape the harsh world he now remembered. He remembered a lot of things that made him shudder with fear, all having to do with his dad. He wanted to jump into Yuki's arms. He wanted Yuki to hold him and tell him that everything was alright. He wanted Yuki to smile at him, to protect him. He wanted Yuki to make the memories go away…

But that wasn't reality. It was a dream, and Shuichi knew it. That's why it stung so badly. He couldn't escape, he just couldn't. He had to talk to his dad, the only person he truly feared.

"Yeah, it's really good that I changed!" his father exclaimed. He seemed proud of himself. "So, I'll see you tomorrow at seven o'clock, PM, right?" Shuichi gulped. His father seemed so innocent…but Shuichi knew it was a lie.

"Y-y-yeah dad…" he said. The word 'dad' felt strange on his tongue. It was like he was speaking another language, or cussing. He sighed and continued speaking. "See you then…" he murmured as he hung up the phone. He collapsed on to the couch and stared at the walls. "Oh great…" he said as he closed his eyes. "Just great…"

Meanwhile, Yuki typed on his laptop like there was no tomorrow. He was at the story's climax and was eager to finish his book. He wanted to finish it so that his editor would leave him alone for once. He hated the story, but he knew it would be a best seller the day it was released. It was too sappy and fluffy for his taste…but that didn't matter. If the public wanted his books, he would write them. No questions asked.

The story was about a beautiful maid in a castle in England. She worked in the prince's room, and immediately fell in love with him. The prince confronted her one day, telling her that she did a good job, and she told him everything. The prince agreed, and they lived a forbidden romance, until the prince's fiancé appeared.

Then the princess discovered their secret, and the maid was murdered. The prince committed suicide the next day. Yeah, it was quite a tragic story, with a depressing ending. Yuki always wrote that way, because he had no experience with happy endings.

'Who really reads this stuff?' he wondered. He sighed and saved the document. 'Done' he thought happily. 'Now I can go check on the brat.' He stood up and closed his laptop, satisfied with his results.

Yuki walked out of his study and towards the couch. As expected, Shuichi was sitting on it, a frown plastered on to his face. He seemed deep in thought again. Yuki growled. 'He has to stop doing that!' Yuki thought. 'It's creeping me out!' He shuddered and calmed himself down.

"Did you talk to your dad yet?" Yuki asked calmly. He was being a bit…nice? Shuichi jumped in surprise. He recovered quickly and responded to his lover.

"Oh yeah, I did" he said. "He seemed glad to hear from me." Yuki nodded with understanding. "He's living here in Tokyo now, ya know."

Shuichi tried to steer clear from where he was going tomorrow night and if he was happy to hear from his dad. He was, after all, a terrible liar. Yuki would know that something was up. He was just surprised that Yuki hadn't asked, "Are you close to your father?" That would've been a disaster…

"Oh" Yuki said coldly. "Well, I'm gonna go make some coffee. See ya brat." Yuki walked over to the kitchen and started making his coffee. Shuichi just watched, amazed at the events that just occurred.

'My dad is back' Shuichi thought. 'And I'm gonna see him…' Shuichi shuddered as more horrible images flashed through his mind. Unfortunately, Yuki noticed this, but he chose to ignore it. 'Is it cold in here?' he thought. Yuki shrugged and fled to the bedroom.

It took a long time for things to sink in. When they did, Shuichi cried silently into his pillow. 'I don't wanna see him…' Shuichi thought anxiously. 'I don't wanna remember… I just want to stay here with Yuki… Oh, what can I do? I can't see him!

Shuichi buried his face in the pillow for an hour until he finally stopped crying. He was glad that Yuki was in the bedroom, out of earshot. Shuichi was still shaking, and the walls were still spinning. But now, everything was also blurry.

Shuichi sighed and let sleep overtake him. He tried to forget about the day ahead of him, the day he now feared almost as much as he feared his dad himself. And that was saying a lot.

A/N: This chapter sucked, I know... -cries- But at least it was longer! -cheers- PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! You guys make me so happy when you do! And I'll always return the favor if you ask! I want 32 reviews before I continue, mainly because I see that a lot of people are reviewing. I won't update the second the 32nd reviewer reviews though, because I'll be shopping all day tomorrow! YAY! I might even get a Gravi calendar or something! Back to my stupidness:

Deji: YES! My computer is FINALLY working! -dances-

Yuki + Shuichi: YEEEES! SHE CAN'T TORMENT US ANYMORE!

Deji: Hey! -slaps Yuki-

Yuki: Why didn't you slap Shuichi, too?

Deji: He's too innocent. And besides, I get no enjoyment when I slap him. When I slap you, it's so fun!

Shuichi: Um...Thanks? Oh, and please read and review!

Yuki: Yeah, so Deji doesn't decided to use us as her plushies to glomp while she waits... -shudders-


	3. Chapter 2 Pt 2

This is super-short, and I apologize. But it's a song fic, and mostly a part of his memory... I'll make the next one a lot longer, I promise. But I didn't want to end the song and then continue the story. It would seem weird...

Anyhow, I made this song up, because I couldn't find a song to match the mood. Please don't steal it. And if you hate it, ignore it, kay? I'm only thirteen, and I'm not Michelle Branch or anything... Well, the next chapter will be a meeting between Shuichi and his dad. And this chapter will leave you will a zillion more questions. Gomen! - Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was exhausted... And I still am. So if something doesn't make sense, just point it out. I probably wrote it in my sleep anyhow.

Oh, and what the heck is a beta? People say they have betas, and I have no clue what they do or what they are. Are they computer programs or something? Please tell me in your review!

Oh, and thank you reviewers! I got so many reviews! Please keep on reviewing! I'm glad so many people like this story, and I haven't even gotten to the good part. (the next chapter) I won't post it if you guys don't review, because then I won't think anyone likes it... -cries- So, if you really want to know what happens, review! - Okay, here's the chapter. It's not my favorite because it's so short, but I really tried hard, especially with the song!

The song is titled 'Tonight' and is mine. If you really want to use it, ask me and tell me why. (I don't know why you would though. It's really bad...) Don't be offended if I say no. (I doubt that will happen) Usually I'll say yes if you give me credit, kay? Good, now, finally, on with the shortest chapter in history!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation, but I do own the song, 'Tonight'. If you steal it, I will report you! I worked VERY hard on that song! -cries- Tonight is dedicated to all my reviewers!

Chapter 2 Pt. 2: Memories

_The clock struck two and a dong echoed throughout the room. A small boy covered his eyes, fearing everything around him. He rocked himself back and forth, soothing himself silently. _

_Beside him stood someone, someone he didn't want to name…The boy wanted to escape the room, escape reality, escape life. But one person was blocking his path. This person had red eyes, like the devil himself. The boy began to cry, wishing to get away from this person… And he left. The boy thanked God, or whoever made the man stay away, if only for a night. _

_**I was always by your side**_

_**Never complained and didn't ask for much**_

_**I wanted you to like me (like me)**_

_**But you couldn't have it that way!**_

_**You had to make me cry**_

_**Make me wanna die**_

_**I needed to crawl away**_

'**_Cause of you, but that's okay!_**

_The boy wanted to think he was okay. He wanted someone to tell him that everything was okay, that nothing was wrong, that he was safe. But no one did. Silence was his only friend, but not his only enemy. He stopped crying and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to take him to a dream world, a world he could never be in. _

_**Cause I'm okay**_

_**I'm alright**_

_**You are gone for tonight**_

_**I won't cry anymore**_

'**_Cause you're not here_**

_**I can sleep soundly tonight**_

_The boy let a smile form on his face, because he was safe for the moment. He was safe… He felt like laughing, but he didn't dare. Silence was his friend and enemy, so he didn't want to disturb it. Actually, he enjoyed the silence. It meant that no one was there, that he was alone. Tonight, he was glad. Tonight he was happy, because he was alone. _

_**Tonight I can smile**_

_**Tonight I can laugh**_

_**Tonight I'll wait a while**_

_**Before I have to go back**_

_**To the fear and the rain**_

_**I'll cherish this night forever**_

_**Cause you're not with me!**_

_The clock struck three and there was a dong. Time went by very fast in the silence. The boy knew that his time was passing by quickly, like a bullet train. He enjoyed this night to the fullest, because it might just be his last night like this. He felt like he was fine for that moment, like everything was alright, the way it was supposed to be. But was he fooling himself, or was he really happy? He remembered the man, and shuddered. _

_**Cause I'm okay**_

_**I'm alright**_

_**You are gone for tonight**_

_**I won't cry anymore**_

'**_Cause you're not here_**

_**I can sleep soundly tonight**_

'_I'm happy' he thought. 'I really am. How can't I be? He's gone, right? He isn't coming back for awhile, right? Someone tell me he isn't coming back soon. Please…' The boy felt like he was on air, and even spread out his arms, waiting for the wind to blow him away. Tonight was the best night he ever remembered, because HE was gone. HE wasn't here, at least for now. _

_**Yes, I am fine**_

_**You are gone**_

_**For tonight**_

_**I can be happy!**_

_**I can dance**_

_**I can sing**_

_**You can't break my wing **_

_**Tonight**_

_**Tonight**_

_**Cause tonight is the best night ever**_

_The boy stared at the clock again, willing for it to freeze. He wanted this moment to last forever, he wanted time to stop. He wanted a lot of things. For a moment, he saw the clock's hands stop, or maybe it was an illusion. But a second later, the clock's hands moved again, and the boy knew he was only dreaming…. _

_**Cause I'm okay**_

_**I'm alright**_

_**You are gone for tonight**_

_**I won't cry anymore**_

'**_Cause you're not here_**

_**I can sleep soundly tonight**_

_No, it wasn't true. Looking at the clock, he realized something. Nothing was alright anymore. It hadn't been alright since the day he talked. Ever since HE came, nothing was fine, and nothing was okay. Even when the boy tried to sleep, HE came back in the form of horrible nightmares. HE was everywhere the boy looked. HE ruined everything. _

_**I still have nightmares**_

_**Even when you're gone**_

_**I can't escape you**_

_**For very long**_

_**You'll haunt me forever**_

_**But that's okay!**_

_**No, it's not okay…. (whisper)**_

_The boy fought the urge to cry, to collapse into the darkness and never wake up again. He watched as the clock struck four. No sound came this time. Perhaps he was imagining the sound from the beginning? Or maybe it was there, and he had lost the ability to hear. The boy didn't know, and didn't care…. Or at least, he told himself that…._

_**Cause I'm okay**_

_**I'm alright**_

_**You are gone for tonight**_

_**I won't cry anymore**_

'**_Cause you're not here_**

_**I can sleep soundly tonight**_

_**No…..**_

_He was fooling himself, he truly was. He had told himself that as long as HE wasn't here, HE couldn't hurt him. But that was a lie. Every time he closed his eyes, HE was there, waiting to hurt him. HE was always there, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. _

_**Cause I'm not okay**_

_**I'm not alright**_

_**You aren't really gone tonight**_

'**_Cause you're still here inside_**

_**I still can't sleep soundly tonight!**_

_The boy began to cry, letting the tears flow down his cheeks and on to the floor. He was lost, hopeless and scared. There was nothing he could do except cry. He had no one to save him, no one to keep HIM away. No matter what happened, he wasn't okay…. He couldn't ever be okay, because being okay was only an illusion he made for himself, just like the sound the clock made… It was only an illusion. _

_**Tonight**_

_**Tonight**_

_**I'm not okay**_

_**Tonight… **_

_And that wasn't even the worst of this nightmare the boy called life. It was only the beginning…._

Shuichi sat up straight, breathing heavily and sweating like crazy. He took a deep breath and looked around, expecting HIM to be there. But he wasn't. Shuichi was safe in Yuki's apartment. There was no HIM anymore. There was only Shuichi and Yuki, no one else.

Shuichi let out a sigh of relief. He was so scared before, but it was only a dream, an illusion. It wasn't real. Then, Shuichi looked beside him. There was a phone. Then, he remembered…

It wasn't a nightmare. It was real. He had to face his nightmares again, alone again. Shuichi buried his face in his pillow and started to cry.

A/N: Yeah, it was short and the song was horrible. Sorry! Someone suggested giving hints about the past, so I made a wholepart just for that. Please review though! I cherish every single review I receive, and reply to each one. So please, review! I promise it'll get better soon! (in the next chapter!) I guess this is sort of just a side story. Chapter 3 will be longer! YAY!


	4. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Yeah, I know, I haven't updated in awhile. But I made this one a bit longer to make up for it (a bit). Yeah, this is the REAL chapter three. The last part I decided to just add to the second chapter. Gomen! It was just too short for me! I have to have something 2000 words or more to think of it as a chapter! Well, here were are, with 43 reviews! Awesome! I hope you guys continue to enjoy this story! Oh, and reviews are the most encouraging part of this. I'd rather you review this story than fave it. Kay, here's the next chapter! And it just leaves you with more questions! Haha!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. -cries- If I did, I'd let my mom retire with the moneyI'dgetand leave her evil girlfriend! -growls-

Chapter 3: Some Things Never Change

Yuki Eiri was confused, very confused indeed. His eyes were glued to the laptop screen, but his mind was elsewhere, wandering into the depths of his memory. He had never heard Shuichi talk about his father before. Why? Yuki was getting a bit worried….

'Maybe his father didn't want to talk to him after that little confession on live TV…' Yuki thought, remembering the incident quite clearly. He knew it was stupid, and he obviously hadn't been thinking clearly when he said that. But at least that took a lot of weight off his shoulders. He no longer had to hide his relationship with the singer after that.

'That would make sense' Yuki thought. 'And now his father is finally coming to his senses and is trying to rebuild his relationship with his son. Or maybe he just wants some money… Well, it doesn't matter…Yes, that's it. Hmm… Why was he so quiet and afraid then? Maybe he didn't know what his dad was going to say? Well, duh… Ugh, I guess I should check in on him. After all, it's almost time for him to get up for work.'

Yuki stretched and yawned. He closed his Word document and turned off his laptop. His story was almost done, and he thought the readers would really like it, even if it was sappy romance. It had good characters, and a good plot, or so he thought.

The characters were in love with each other, but it was forbidden because they were of different ranking in their country. It was a strange place to live in, almost like walking into the past. Yuki hadn't decided whether it took place in a foreign, little, isolated country or in the past. It didn't really matter. The story was still sappy and pathetic no matter where it took place. Yuki snickered and stood up. 'What a stupid story' he thought with a chuckle. He walked into the living room where the couch was.

Shuichi was indeed there, but something was wrong. Yuki just couldn't put his finger on it. He casually walked over to the couch and poked Shuichi lightly. He almost gasped when he realized that Shuichi was awake. But his eyes looked deceiving. They were cloudy and distant, something Yuki couldn't grasp. It was something Yuki didn't entirely understand either.

"Oi Brat, you awake?" Yuki asked with a growl. There was no response. Shuichi looked like he was dead to the world. He was in his own world, and obviously didn't want to be bothered by the other one. Yuki didn't really care what Shuichi wanted at the moment. He was worried, and he wanted an explanation to Shuichi's behavior.

"Hello, Shuichi?" Yuki asked again, his voice escalating. Shuichi blinked and finally looked Yuki in the eyes. He blinked again and rubbed his eyes. Was he still dreaming?

"Yeah?" Shuichi mumbled. He looked a bit pale, and he was shaky. "What is it Yuki? Is something wrong?" Darn, he still had that distant look in his eyes, like he was somewhere else entirely.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Yuki demanded. "You've been so darn quiet. It's unnerving!" Shuichi winced.

"But you always tell me to be quiet…" Shuichi mumbled. He stared at Yuki with a bewildered look on his face. He was actually bewildered at himself, too. He was never quiet, unless something really bad and life-threatening was happening. No, even then he screamed and whined…

He was only this quiet at funerals. He had only been to one, that of his great-grandmother. But he hardly knew her. He remembered her by the white teddy bear she gave him for his birthday. He still had it in his room back at home. Maiko took care of it. He called it Birthday Bear. It was a stupid name, but it stuck to the bear like the pin attached to his chest.

"Exactly" Yuki replied flatly. "You hardly ever listen to me. Why now?" Yuki paused and growled. "And what the heck is with your eyes?" He stared into Shuichi's eyes with slight annoyance.

"My eyes?" Shuichi repeated. He blinked again and his eyes returned to their normal state, bubbly and lively. "What do you mean?" Yuki growled and slapped himself, mentally and physically. It was a stupid question to ask, and he knew it. He had been thinking about it too much, and now he was really letting it get to him. He let out a sigh for being so easily annoyed.

"Never mind…" he mumbled. "Ya know, it's almost time for you to go to work." He pointed to the clock. The clock…. Shuichi shuddered. He decided he didn't like clocks anymore after his nightmare. Clocks only showed how much time he had left until… HE returned.

"Oh, okay…" Shuichi whispered. "Thanks Yuki…" He stood up and went to go fetch his clothes. "Wait…" He paused and turned around. He felt Yuki's forehead and frowned. "Are you not feeling well or something?" Yuki blinked and raised his brow.

"What do you mean?" Yuki snapped. "I'm fine! Where the heck did you get that idea from?" Shuichi rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat. Yuki seemed so clueless to the little acts of kindness he did. Shuichi decided to remind the novelist.

"You never tell me I have to go to work, because you never care if I'm late or not" Shuichi pointed out. Yuki gulped. He had been caught. "But today… You actually came in here, prepared to wake me up so I wouldn't be late…!" Shuichi suddenly felt all his energy come back to him. He smiled and glomped Yuki. "I love you Yuki! You really do care!"

"No I don't!" Yuki yelled. He put his hands into fists. "I only went to wake you up because I didn't want to hear your whining when you realized that you were gonna be late for work, again." Yuki sighed in relief, hoping Shuichi would buy it.

"Oh, okay…" Shuichi said with disappointment evident in his voice. He let out another sigh and looked at the clock with dismay. It seemed to be mocking him, even now. He growled and walked over to the bedroom to get dressed.

"Darn brat…" Yuki growled and he walked back into his study. He sat back down on his chair and turned his laptop back on. He re-opened the Word document, which he still had no name for. He couldn't think of another title. Maybe his editor would help him… Oh well. He didn't really care. It didn't matter to him what his book was called. As long as it got his editor away from him, he didn't care.

Shuichi let out another sigh and walked out the door, saying his usual farewells to Yuki and mentioning that he would be home late, who pretended to ignore him. Shuichi walked outside and went to work to sing, get shot by K, several times, get yelled at by Fujisaki, get counseled by Hiro on his love life, watch Sakano scream and faint ten times or so and get glares from Tohma. _Ah yes, he couldn't wait… _

Shuichi usually enjoyed work, but he now hated it and loved it. He hated it because it was just a reminder as to what would come after work, and he loved it because it was a safe haven for him to be at for awhile, if you call being in the same room as K 'safe'… Shuichi shuddered.

He looked outside, and only saw darkness overflowing the room with its hatred. Suddenly, Shuichi saw HIM in the darkness. HIS eyes moved around, looking at Shuichi with interest. Shuichi shuddered and slid back on to the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping HE would go away. When Shuichi opened his eyes, quite timidly, HE was still there, his eyes gleaming, a bottle in his hand.

"Hello Shuichi, my son…" HE said softly, his voice almost inaudible. "It's nice to see you again, after all these years…" Shuichi gulped and closed his eyes. He whimpered, and slowly opened his eyes again. He sighed in relief. The hallway had become light again, and no person was in sight.

"Whew, that was scary…" Shuichi whispered. He took a deep breath and stood up, quite shakily. He laughed at himself. "I'm so stupid…! I don't have to see him…until tonight that is…" He let out another sigh and walked down the stairs like nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Yuki was typing furiously on his laptop. He growled and erased about a page of his work. Something wasn't right. He couldn't seem to figure out what should happen next in his story. He rubbed his temple wearily. He was having trouble concentrating, but he didn't know why.

Suddenly, he realized what was bothering him. The brat was acting weird lately, and Yuki was getting worried. Shuichi was being too quiet, too calm and **way too** punctual. Shuichi was always late for work, but Yuki knew that he probably got there on time today. It was strange.

'It has to be about his father' Yuki thought. 'Is he really that worried about what his father will say?' Yuki paused and started typing nonsense just to calm himself. 'He's probably worried that his father will try to keep him away from me. Baka.' Yuki sighed and deleted all the nonsense he typed. He closed the document and closed his eyes.

Shuichi waved goodbye to K, Sakano and Fujisaki. He faked a smile and hopped out of the studio with Hiro by his side.

"So Shuichi, do ya wanna hang out or something today?" Hiro asked. He looked at Shuichi and smiled. "We hardly ever hang out anymore." He paused and laughed. "Then again, we're with each other most of the day, and whenever Yuki kicks you out… Heh, I'm being greedy, but still, if you're not doing anything… I'm sure Yuki won't mind. He hardly ever does."

"Well, actually, I do have somewhere to go today" Shuichi said. "I have to meet someone at the café. It's important, or at least I think so." Shuichi gave an apologetic smile to Hiro. "I promise I'll hang out with you this weekend. Yuki's gonna be working on a deadline anyways. Alright?" Hiro nodded slowly.

"Sure, but who're you meeting at the café?" Hiro questioned. "And why? Is it a famous person, a reporter, a lady…?" Hiro grinned mischievously. "Are you cheating on Yuki, like he probably does?" Shuichi turned red.

"NO, I'M NOT MEETING A GIRL!" Shuichi yelled. He glared at Hiro, his eyes red. "AND YUKI DOES NOT CHEAT ON ME!" Shuichi recovered his breath while Hiro looked at him skeptically.

"So, who is it then?" Hiro asked, watching his friend wheeze. "It's not a girl, not a reporter, and not someone famous. Who could it be? An old friend from elementary school or something?" Shuichi slapped himself and growled.

"No, it's a guy that I used to know" Shuichi explained calmly. "And no, I'm not going out with him or anything. He's just someone I know, an old…friend…" Hiro titled his head.

"So you know this guy from Preschool?" Hiro asked. Shuichi growled and banged his head against the wall. Hiro sighed and continued. "I don't know why you're acting so uptight, but I've known you since middle school. I've been your only friend since then, so if he isn't from Elementary school, he has to be from preschool. Am I right?"

"No" Shuichi said. "He was an adult before I even knew you…" Hiro snapped his fingers. He dragged his friend away from the wall and put a bandage on Shuichi's head. (It was bleeding.) He always had a first-aid kit when he was with Shuichi. Shuichi always happened to get hurt. Hiro was sure that Shuichi could hurt himself in a room made completely of fluffy pillows. Shuichi always found a way, or so it seemed.

"Oh, that makes sense" Hiro said. He and Shuichi continued walking out of NG. "Do I know him? Have I ever seen him before?"

"No, I haven't seen him since Elementary School" Shuichi explained. "That's why I haven't mentioned his name. You wouldn't know him anyways." Shuichi waved goodbye to Hiro. "I gotta go now! Have fun on your date with you-know-who!" He sang the latter part. Shuichi ran off before Hiro could yell at him for the teasing about Ayaka. He chuckled as he ran out of NG.

Shuichi slowed down once he realized where he was going. 'I'm gonna see dad' he thought. Just the thought sent shivers down his spine. 'It'll be fine. Why am I worrying so much?' One word made him remember why: Ritsuka. 'Bad Shuichi! Think happy thoughts! Dad has changed, he said so! It won't happen again! And besides, I won't see him often…'

Determined to not freak out, Shuichi walked down the streets. He put sunglasses and a hat on and continued on. He passed a jewelry shop, a bakery and a clothes shop before seeing the sign for the café'. He looked at his watch. It was 6:58PM.

The café had all sorts of beautiful Japanese art on its walls and ceilings. It was a quiet place, and was simply called the café. It didn't have a real name, so that's what everyone called it. It was a very peaceful place and the owner was kind. His named was Kai. He was a foreigner, and that was all Shuichi knew about him. Shuichi stepped inside the café and entered a world filled with paintings and soothing music.

"Ah, Shuichi…" a voice said. It caused Shuichi to jump in surprise. He remembered that voice. It was none other than his dad…. "How are you?" Shuichi turned around and saw his dad. His dad had black hair and violet eyes that matched Shuichi's. He wore a green shirt with jeans and had already picked out a table. He was the man Shuichi feared, the one who caused so many nightmares… He gestured for Shuichi to sit down next to him.

"H-Hi dad…" Shuichi whispered meekly. He gulped and sat down on the chair across from his dad's. "H-how are you?" His dad made an eerie smile, one that would scare the heck out of even Tohma.

"Oh, I've been doing well" his dad replied. He looked at Shuichi. "How's the big life that you seem to be leading with your music?" He chuckled and Shuichi joined in nervously.

"It's good" Shuichi replied quickly. He wondered what his mother would say if she saw that he was talking to his father. He frowned just thinking of it. "We're releasing a new CD next month." Shuichi didn't know what else to say. He stared down at his shoes. His mind went blank after seeing the man who gave him the shivers.

"Oh, I can't wait!" his dad exclaimed. "I bought every one of your CDs. They're really cool." He smiled and continued like he had seen Shuichi yesterday. "They're all about Yuki, aren't they?" Shuichi froze for a minute, and everything seemed to slow down.

"Y-yeah, they are!" he said. "So, you like them?" He was amazed that his father tolerated the music, especially since he knew what it was about, Yuki. He wasn't sure if his father would approve... But that was the least of his list of worries.

"Yes, how could I not?" he questioned. "They're my son's own music, and they're about something real, not like other pop music I hear these days…" He trailed off when he noticed that a waiter was there to serve them.

"Hello sirs, can I get you anything?" the waiter asked. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. It definitely wasn't Kai, Shuichi knew for sure. Kai had very dark skin and a weird hat on. Shuichi often teased him about the hat, but Kai continued to wear it.

"Yes, I'd like a vanilla cappuccino" his father answered. "And what would you like, Shuichi?" He looked at Shuichi and smiled.

"The usual…" Shuichi said, looking up at the waiter. The waiter nodded. Shuichi had come to the café often when he was a bit depressed or in a slump. No one else knew about it though. Shuichi sighed as the waiter walked off to fetch the drinks.

An hour later, Shuichi said goodbye to his father and rushed out of the café. His father had offered to pay for the meal, so Shuichi also thanked him. After being far away from the café, Shuichi let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that wasn't bad…" he murmured. "I worked myself up over nothing. Ha, I guess he really did change…" Shuichi smiled weakly and walked back to his apartment. A voice inside his head reminded him that, 'Some things never change, even though they may appear to, ya know...'

A/N: Was it bad? (and how can I improve?)Good? Enjoyable? Interesting? Did I make a mistake? I won't know unless you review ya know! Thank you reviewers! You guys make me soooo happy! Oh, and the big new question is: Who is Ritsuka and how does Shuichi know this person? Oh, NO FLAMES PLEASE! CC is always welcome though!

Deji: Wow, I got 43 reviews...

Shuichi: Well, that's good, right?

Deji: Heck yeah!

Yuki: How come you never swear, or at least let me swear in your story? I hate saying darn and heck. It's so pathetic.

Deji: Dunno... But it is funny thinking of you saying them.It amuses me, so I write them.

Yuki: Darn... Hey! Why can't I say darn? What the heck? No! I'm supposed to to heck! What? Ugh! Darn you to heck for cursing me, Deji!

Deji: My pleasure! -smiles- I love torchuring you so:p

Shuichi: Okay, plz review! Thank you in advance!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry that it's been so long! A lot happened since I last updated. I got my first flame. ;; (It wasn't from this website, but it was this story.) It was pretty depressing, but Luciver helped me think positive! -beams- Thanks Luciver! I am now with Julin X against flamers! They're evil! If you want to rant and complain about your flames (if you have any) with me, PM me!

Oh, and guess what, on that same day I got my flameI saw my (now EX) boyfriend flirting with another girl, and FEEDING her french fries, and SHARING STRAWS! I was pretty upset and broke up with him... -growls and cries- He cheated on me! WAAAAA!

Okay, back to the story, this chapter has more flashbacks in it. I ask you that if you realize what exactly happened before I reveal it to please not say it in your review. You'll spoil it for everyone else who reads the reviews. I'll have to delete it if you do, and I don't want to do that!PM me if you really want to tell me your guess, kay? Thank you in advance!

NOTES (PLEASE READ!): I forgot to mention this but, this is according to the anime. I am aware that Shu's dad showed up in the manga, but I go according to the anime on this one. Also, someone mentioned that it was weird that Yuki didn't notice that Shuichi was crying in the other room earlier. He was deep in thought in his study when it happened, so he had no clue. Also, people are wondering why Yuki wasn't worried about Shu meeting his dad. He really thinks it's because his dad disowned him or something once Shuichi 'came out of the closet'. So that's why he doesn't suspect anything, YET.

Oh, and does anyone know where you can submit original stories? Please tell me if you know any websites for teens to post their originals in your review. (or PM me, it doesn't matter) And, as I asked before, what is a beta? (besides being a fish)

Disclamier: I don't own Gravitation. If I did, I'd just have toget killed the instant I recieved it because it would be too good to be true.

* * *

Chapter 4: Returning Hatred 

Shuichi quickly got as far away from his dad as possible. He power-walked all the way down the block with a fearful look in his eyes. He ignored all the sights and sounds that he usually stopped to admire. He wanted to get home, now. He had to. It was the only place where he was safe.

Home. Shuichi let a smile escape him. He felt happy that Yuki's apartment was now his 'home'. It made him feel happy, and safe. At home, his dad couldn't visit him, couldn't talk to him. Shuichi didn't have to listen to his dad's voice. He didn't have to hear or see his dad. When he was with Yuki, his dad was only an illusion.

He saw the apartment and rushed inside, fumbling with the keys. When the door opened, he practically leaped for joy. He contained himself from yelling, "Tadaima!" because it was very late. If Yuki was sleeping (which he doubted) or someone else was, he might wake them up.

Shuichi stumbled down on to the couch. He yawned and stretched. He had just visited his father, the person who sent chills down his spine. 'It had been alright' he thought. Nothing bad happened. It was just a peaceful conversation between a father and a son. But then why was Shuichi still shaking? Everything started to spin slowly in the room. It was like a twister of fog.

'It's fine' he thought. But something at the back of his mind was nagging him. First of, he couldn't believe that he saw his father again, after what he did. It was very creepy, to actually see his dad standing there, instead of a shadow that he mistook for his father. It was like a nightmare, only he couldn't wake up. It was still sinking in.

* * *

"_Ritsuka, you're so kind…" Shuichi whispered. He cuddled up against the boy next to him, and smiled. "How can I ever repay you for being so nice to me?" There was a chuckle coming from the boy's mouth. The boy ruffled Shuichi's hair affectionately. _

"_I don't need repayment" Ritsuka insisted. "You're kind to me, and you're my friend. We're even, and I wouldn't even care if we weren't. It doesn't matter." He smiled happily at Shuichi. "Hey, do you have any gum?" he asked innocently. Shuichi slapped him on the head playfully. _

"_Baka, you're always asking me for gum!" Shuichi yelled. "Can't you get your own? It's like you're the human gum-ball machine or something! Sheesh!" He paused and watched Ritsuka's unfazed expression. "Why would I have gum in the first place? And why do you always ask me anyway?" _

"_Because I like seeing you get annoyed" Ritsuka explained with a grin. "It's quite entertaining. I might have to sell you to some TV network to get money for gum." He chuckled as Shuichi pounced on him._

"_Ritsuka, you meanie!" Shuichi chided. "You're not supposed to sell your friends to TV networks! Especially when they're younger!" Shuichi saw Ritsuka collapse onto the ground with laughter. He happily joined his friend.

* * *

_

'Ritsuka…' Shuichi thought. 'No…' He covered his eyes and tried to block out the memories, tried to think of something else. Ritsuka always reminded him of hatred. And hatred was something that he didn't like to think about.

Hatred. It was a strong word, if used correctly. Shuichi knew that many people would kid around and tell their friends that they 'hated' them. That wasn't hatred. That was love, love that could surpass jokes and teasing.

When Yuki said, "I hate you", did he really mean it? Shuichi hoped not. He couldn't tell whether Yuki meant it or not, and that bothered him. He groaned and collapsed on to the couch, closing his eyes. He still had his clothes on, but he didn't care. He didn't want to move. Everything was happening too fast for his liking, so he thought that if he stayed still, time would slow down.

* * *

"_Promise you'll never leave me?" Shuichi asked Ritsuka as they sat on the lawn, looking up at the sky. Ritsuka nodded happily. He started to tickle Shuichi. "Uncle!" Shuichi cried through tears. "Uncle!" Ritsuka, obviously pleased with the response, stopped ticking Shuichi. _

"_I'll stay by your side until I die" Ritsuka vowed. "I swear on our friendship." He held out his hand and offered it to Shuichi. Shuichi hesitated. "Crosses don't count" Ritsuka added. Shuichi nodded and shook Ritsuka's hand _

"_Hey Ritsuka, where do clouds come from?" Shuichi asked. He pointed up to the fluffy white things in the sky. "And are they really made out of white cotton candy like everyone says?" Ritsuka slapped himself. _

"_No you idiot!" Ritsuka muttered. "Man, you're so stupid you're making me hit myself!" Shuichi blinked and tried to understand his friend. _

"_I don't get it" he admitted. "What do you mean?" Ritsuka sighed and explained where cloud came from, in great detail. With Shuichi's stupidity, it took a few hours to explain fully.

* * *

_

Shuichi didn't like hatred. It showed dislike to an extreme, where someone might even kill. It didn't sound nice when he said it, but he heard it so many times in his life, he should've been used to it. But he wasn't. He couldn't get used to hatred. He never understood why people hated each other.

But then he'd remember Ritsuka, and everything would come flooding back. He would fight the anger, anger so powerful that Shuichi knew it was hatred, in him and strengthen his fear. Usually, it worked. Now, however, it didn't work. It was probably because of all these flashbacks. He fought the hatred very hard for many years, and now it had finally reached its tip. But then again, the fear had reached its tip as well.

Shuichi denied that he felt such a strong, 'bad' feeling like hatred. He didn't want to hate anyone. He didn't want to feel so angry towards certain people. He didn't want to have the urge to kill someone. (He'd never do that because fear would get in the way) He just didn't want anything to do with those things.

* * *

_Silence engulfed the house. Shuichi leaned up against the wall and slipped down. He sat there for awhile, absorbing the peace. He closed his eyes, and immediately regretted it. He was even in the back of Shuichi's eyelids! _

_Shuichi groaned and opened his eyes. He wondered where he mother was. 'She's probably in her room' he thought. 'It's better that way.' Suddenly, he heard a ruckus coming from the hall. He peered over and saw the knob turn. He winced as the door slowly opened. _

"_What are you doing, dad?" Shuichi asked timidly as his father walked inside the house. He gulped and looked up at his dad. His eyes widened in shock as giant, red eyes glared down at him. He shuddered and rushed into another room. _

"_Come here, Shu…" his dad whispered. "Come back, or I'll get angry…" A smirk appeared on his lips as Shuichi scrambled away. He loved this game. "Come on, I haven't got all night, Shu… Remember where we have to go?" There was no reply. _

"_Now, do you remember what happens when you disobey?" his dad chided. "Bad things happen to her… No, I stand corrected. I meant WORSE things…" Shuichi froze in his tracks. He sighed and walked towards his dad and hung his head. "Good boy" his dad praised. A cruel, creepy smile appeared on his face.

* * *

_

Shuichi was deep in thought. Every memory repeated over and over again in his mind. He shuddered and everything became blurry. 'Ritsuka…' Shuichi thought, utterly terrified of the scene infected his mind. He clutched his pillow anxiously. 'Dad…' He saw a mixture of colors, mostly red and black. He groaned. His head was pounding from all the memories.

"Oi, Shuichi!" a familiar voice called. Shuichi couldn't seem to place his finger on whom it was. His mind was clouded. He closed his eyes and tried to fall into blissful dreams. But that voice was continuing to annoy him.

"Oi, brat! Is that you?" Shuichi didn't respond. The temperature seemed to rise, and everything looked like it was melting. Shuichi blinked and slowly rubbed his eyes. Nothing changed. He frowned, unhappy with himself. He wanted everything to be okay. He closed his eyes and blocked out the voices that continued on. The voices stopped. Yuki thought that Shuichi had fallen asleep and returned to his novel.

* * *

"_I did it…because of you" a husky voice said. Shuichi looked up with fear. He winced as he saw HIM standing in front of him. HE was angry, to say the least. HIS hands were covered in a liquid that Shuichi couldn't tell the color of. "You didn't listen, you bad boy. I had to do some punishing because of that, you naughty child." _

_Shuichi gulped and staggered backwards until he hit the wall. He cringed as his father followed his movements. He couldn't escape HIM, despite his efforts. He was helpless. He was scared, but also furious. He didn't know why he felt the latter, but it didn't matter. Fear was soaking him to the bone. He gave a pleading look to his dad. _

"_It was your entire fault, you know…" his dad whispered. "You just can't listen, can you? Next time, I'll end more than one. You know that well, don't you?" He didn't let Shuichi reply. "I know the answer. You're so selfish, did you know that? Such a pitiful monster, you are…" _

"_No…" Shuichi whispered. He sunk down on to the floor. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the floor, or what was on it. Tears flew freely down his face and landed on to the floor he forbade himself to look at. "I-I…" _

"_Don't lie, you piece of shit" his father breathed. "You're a fucking disgrace to the world. You know that, right? This is your fault. You did this. How could you? And to him?" He looked at the floor and Shuichi avoided his eyes and settled at looking at his hands. "You deserve to die, son of a bitch…."_

"_No, I didn't know that…" Shuichi tried to explain frantically. He was having trouble with words. He was cut off by his father. _

"_Shut up, bastard!" he yelled. He stomped towards Shuichi and punched him in the face. Shuichi let out a cry. "Stop! You don't deserve to cry! You disobeyed me!" Shuichi stopped crying, even though his face hurt. "I'll make it hurt more now!" He kicked Shuichi in the stomach. Shuichi gasped and bit his lip. _

_Guilt washed over him. He was actually crying, begging for forgiveness and making excuses after what he caused? His head pounded loudly. He couldn't hear anything anymore… He wanted to disappear…

* * *

_

Yuki heard a cry coming from the living room. He growled and examined his Word document, double-checking the last page. He smiled, satisfied with his work. It was finally finished, his story. He heard the cry again and started to get worried. He stood up and saved his work. He wandered into the living room.

Yuki walked over to the couch where Shuichi was sleeping. He saw Shuichi toss and turn in the bed, still in his work clothes. Sweat drops covered Shuichi's forehead. His breathing sounded irregular. Yuki stared at Shuichi for a second before rushing over to his side.

"Shuichi, wake up" Yuki ordered. He was worried about the kid, but if Shuichi found out what he was doing Yuki would say, "I couldn't go to sleep with your loud, annoying cries". He already had his excuseplanned out.Yuki shook Shuichi lightly, hoping to awaken the singer.

Shuichi continued to cry out, toss and turn. Yuki felt his forehead and frowned. It was very warm. 'I should keep him near me in case he falls off the couch' Yuki thought. 'I'll just bring him to the bedroom.' Yuki sighed and carefully picked Shuichi up bridal style. He carried Shuichi to the bedroom and placed him on it. He noticedwhat Shuichi was wearing and changed his clothes. (A/N:DON'T BE A PERVERT!)Yuki placed some large pillows on Shuichi's side of the bed so he didn't fall off.

"No…" Shuichi whimpered. Yuki frowned. He didn't like seeing Shuichi like this, sick and obviouslysuffering. It seemed physically and emotionally painful.He looked at the clock. It read 2am, too late to call a doctor."I-I…no..." Shuichi murmured.Yuki walked out of the bedroom and got a washcloth from the closet. He thenwet it under the sink and climbed into the bed. He attempted to put the washcloth on Shuichi's forehead.

Shuichi mumbled something and clutched Yuki's shirt. (Yuki was wearing his night clothes.) He got as close to Yuki as possible, nuzzling him, and the tossing and turning stopped. His breathing returned to normal, but his forehead was still warm.

Yuki sighed in defeat and placed the cloth on Shuichi's forehead. He decided to let Shuichi 'cuddle' with him. He would have to call a doctor in the morning if Shuichi wasn't better. He wondered what Shuichi's nightmare was about. 'He must've been feeling pretty bad if he didn't even have the energy to get changed. Maybe it had something to do with where he went after work... Wasn't he seeing his dad? Hmm...' Yuki sighed and let sleep overtake him.

A/N: So, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Thank you reviewers! I got 66 reviews, and I'm quite proud! -dances- You guys brightened my horrible week! Thank you!

Deji: Oh darn it! I can't think of anything to write!

Yuki: Then why did you write this stupid thing anyway? -growls-

Deji: Because I'm stupid, and proud of it! -beams- I used to think that Thailand was in Kentucky! That's how stupid I am!

Shuichi: Wow, even I'm not THAT stupid... -is shocked- I've found someone stupider than me? Deji, be the BAKA CLUB LEADER PLZ! -begs-

Deji: WOOT! Oh sure! I feel so powerful! -dances-

Yuki: -covers eyes and ears- Just looking at you guys hurts my eyes... Ow! -- The stupidity burns!

Deji + Shuichi: Please read and review. If we get enough reviews, we'll update TOMORROW!


	6. Chapter 5

Hey! I got so many reviews that I updated today! Sorry if there are any mistakes. I didn't get a chance to proofread it! Gomen! -bows- Okay, here's the fifth chapter. Winry R., you must be physic. (sp?) Oh, and I am proud to announce (to those who didn't know) there's a second part to the Gravitation manga! -squeals- They call in Genzo tracks or something like that... Anyways, here's the story!

Chapter 5: I'm Okay

Shuichi woke up to unfamiliar surroundings. He swore that he fell asleep on the couch, but now… He was in the bed… with Yuki? Shuichi rubbed his eyes and yawned, gazing at Yuki. Yuki was sound asleep. He LOVED sleep like a monkey loved bananas. Shuichi knew this well, especially after the little 'incident'… He winced.

"Yuki" Shuichi whispered. He looked at Yuki again. 'How did I get here?' he wondered. 'Did I sleep-walk? Nah, Yuki would've kicked me out if I did… Did he carry me here? Oh, wow… I wonder why…' Suddenly, he remembered the nightmare and shuddered.

Everything started spinning again. Shuichi steadied himself and slipped off the bed, being careful not to wake Yuki up. He didn't need a cranky Yuki at the moment. He wanted silence, for once. His head was pounding like an elephant was sitting on it, except his head wasn't bleeding.

Shuichi swayed side to side and gripped the bed for support. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 'Keep yourself together, Shuichi!' he urged himself. 'A little spinning isn't gonna bring you down!' He opened his eyes and he could stand straight again. He sighed in relief. 'I wonder why everything was spinning… Oh well…'

Shuichi took a few steps, successfully, without falling. He smiled and slowly walked towards the door. The walls stopped spinning, finally. Suddenly, Shuichi could hear stirring coming from the bed. He turned around and saw Yuki's golden eyes staring back at him. He looked a bit angry.

"I'm sorry Yuki…" Shuichi whispered. His head was still pounding, so he hoped Yuki didn't yell at him. "I didn't mean to wake you up… I thought I fell asleep on the couch. I'm really sorry. Please don't be mad!" His ears were ringing.

"Well, you were crying in your sleep, so I brought you here" Yuki explained flatly. "I couldn't sleep with your crying." He added the last bit bitterly, trying to sound aggravated. Actually, he was still worried. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah…" Shuichi said uneasily. "Why do you ask?" Yuki sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his expression had softened. He didn't look angry anymore. He looked a bit worried…? Now Shuichi was confused.

"Forget it" Yuki mumbled, rubbing his eyes. That was a typical response, one that Shuichi predicted he'd say. "Go to work, baka, you're gonna be late." Shuichi nodded happily. He grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom to change and take a shower. When he came out, he kissed Yuki on the ear and skipped away.

"He must be over that fever now…" Yuki thought aloud. "You can't be that perky when you're sick. Must've been a one-night thing… Not like I care or nothing…" He groaned and looked at the clock with dismay. It was too early for him to wake up. Why had he even woken up in the first place? 'I was worried about him' a voice in the back of Yuki's head said. Yuki muttered something before closing his eyes again.

Meanwhile, Shuichi pranced to work. He felt really…weird… It was hard to explain in words. He covered it up with his energetic attitude. He passed the street signs and crossed the streets until he arrived at NG.

When Shuichi arrived in the studio, he noticed that K, Suguru and Hiro were staring at him. K's jaw dropped. Sakano came rushing into the room. Once he saw Shuichi, he froze, and his jaw dropped as well.

"S-Shuichi…?" Sakano asked. He checked his watch. "It's five minutes until rehearsal, and you're HERE?" Shuichi nodded slowly. He watched Sakano pale and faint. Hiro walked over to his friend and gave him a worried look.

"What's wrong with me being early?" Shuichi demanded. His face was red. He felt really hot (as in high temperature), so he pretended to be angry to cover up his red face. "I might not come to work on time often, but…" Everyone glared at him. He sighed and corrected himself. "Okay, so I NEVER come to work on time…. Whatever. Yuki woke me up early because he wanted to yell at me about something. So, I decided to get ready for work while I was up" Shuichi lied. He felt a bit cooler, so he pretended to calm down.

"Oh, so it was because Yuki was being a big meanie, right?" Hiro asked. Shuichi growled. He didn't like lying to his best friend, but he knew that Hiro would suspect something if he said, "I just woke up early." Hiro would immediately worry about stuff that wasn't true. There was nothing wrong with him, not at all… 'People feel dizzy all the time' he assured himself. 'It isn't strange…' He steadied himself quickly, hoping that no one noticed.

"How about we forget this and practice?" Suguru asked. "We have an extra two hours because Shindou arrived on time, so we'd better use it. It doesn't really matter why he came on time. Now, let's get to work." Hiro nodded slowly and Shuichi rolled his eyes. Shuichi hated Suguru sometimes. He was such a workaholic all the time. He wondered if Suguru ever really had FUN. He doubted Suguru knew how to spell FUN. He would laugh if Suguru did, or didn't.

"Sure, mister no-fun…" Shuichi muttered. He watched Suguru go to his keyboard and Hiro go to his guitar. Shuichi sighed and went to the mic. He started singing his new song: 'Is This Forever?'He had made it up yesterday and Suguru wanted to practice it before the concert in a few weeks.

When Shuichi started to sing, everything became blurry and dizzy. He finally gave up trying to steady himself and closed his eyes. He tried hard to sing the words to his new song. He thought that K liked it because he was smiling. Sakano probably would've cheered, but he was still unconscious on the floor. He did that, a lot.

After hours of recording, Shuichi felt exhausted. Singing never tired him out so much. It was probably because singing took more effort to do than usual. It was quite strange. Hiro's fingers were "falling off". He started complaining that he had to practice two hours more than usual because Shuichi came on time. Shuichi ignored him, because his head hurt whenever someone tried to talk to him. Heck, it even hurt when he heard himself.

"Shuichi, are you listening?" Hiro demanded. He snapped his fingers in front of Shuichi's face. Shuichi jumped up in surprise. He looked around at his surroundings. He was in the café, the same one he saw his dad in. He shuddered as memories returned.

"_Ritsuka, what happens when you die?" Shuichi asked nervously. He gave Ritsuka a pleading look and pouted. "Does everything just end? Or do you go somewhere?" Ritsuka frowned. He didn't like serious topics. He liked to make people laugh, not cry. Well, he liked to make them laugh so hard that they cried, but that wasn't what he thought when he thought about crying. _

"_Well, no one knows for sure" Ritsuka explained quietly. "I mean, no one has lived to tell the tale, if you know what I mean." Shuichi slapped Ritsuka for trying to make the conversation funny. "Okay, okay! I don't know exactly, to tell you the truth. Maybe we go to heaven. Maybe we just disappear. I don't know." Ritsuka shrugged. _

"_So, what would happen if you died?" Shuichi asked, his voice lowering in volume. "I mean, where would you go? Would I ever see you again?" He paused. Tears formed on his eyes. "I don't want you to disappear. I want you to stay with me forever…"He bit his lip._

"_I'll stay for as long as I can" Ritsuka promised. "Besides, what does it matter? Why worry about something you obviously can't control? When your time comes, you go. No questions asked. Let's change the subject now. I don't like when you cry." _

"_Fine, did you get your own gum yet?" Shuichi asked angrily. He glared at Ritsuka, waiting for a response. Ritsuka shook his head. "Well, you're not having mine, so don't even ask." Ritsuka smiled sweetly. _

"_Come on, you know how much I love gum…" Ritsuka murmured. "Consider it payment for my beautiful speech about death, kay?" Shuichi rolled his eyes. Ritsuka was very persistent, and he always found ways to get his gum, somehow. _

"HELLO!" Hiro yelled. He pinched Shuichi. "Snap out of it! Look, I have to go because I have a date with Ayaka. So, see ya later. And learn to pay attention! Sheesh!" Hiro stood up and gave the waitress a ten dollar bill before leaving the café. Shuichi just slumped up against the table, thinking.

"Ritsuka" he breathed. It had been the first time he said that name in years. It felt weird on his lips, like when he said "dad". It was eerie to actually hear that name, after all these years. He had almost forgotten how to say it, or what it sounded like.

"Um, sir…" the waitress asked. She had brown hair with brown eyes and was wearing the outfit for the cafe. She looked nervous. "Are you done?" Shuichi looked back at her blankly. Finally, he realized that he was taking up a table that could be used for other customers. Shuichi sighed guiltily.

"Yes, sorry…" he said. "I kind of zoned out for a few minutes." The waitress nodded kindly with understanding. She led him to the door and waved goodbye. She gave him a smile before seating the next group of people.

Shuichi groaned. His head was pounding even worse than before. The sidewalk swirled and twisted around. Shuichi rubbed his eyes and growled. The sidewalk was still funny looking. He sighed and swayed as he walked back to the apartment, a few blocks away.

After what seemed like hours, Shuichi saw the apartment. He looked like he was drunk as he walked up the steps to the apartment. Suddenly, the knob seemed to twirl around. It looked like something from a camera that was too close to the object/person. It was fuzzy. Shuichi frowned and fumbled around with his keys. He couldn't get the keys to go into the keyhole. He growled. This wasn't his day.

'Maybe I should ask Yuki to open the door…' Shuichi thought. 'I have to get inside, 'cause it's kind of cold out here… No, Yuki will be mad if I do that. He's probably working hard on his novel. I shouldn't disturb him, or I'll get him angry.' Shuichi looked hard at the knob, willing for it to stop moving. Suddenly, he felt really woozy. His eyes drooped and slowly fell on to the ground, the keys making a clatter as they fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, Yuki took a sip of coffee. He finished his novel, so he could relax for awhile. He wished Shuichi was with him. He actually missed the brat, and he didn't know when he was coming home. Shuichi often went to the café or a store before coming home. His timing was always different. Yuki sighed and decided not to worry about it.

An hour later, Yuki was officially worried sick. He glared at the door. He wanted it to open and have Shuichi behind it. Then Shuichi would say, "Tadaima!", and he'd glomp Yuki. And everything would be okay. But something wasn't right. Yuki could feel it in his gut. He sighed and tried to calm himself by drinking his fifth cup of coffee.

Finally, Yuki decided to do something. He stood up and went to the closet. He decided to look for the brat. His cover-up was, "I was taking a walk for inspiration". He frowned and put on his coat and shoes. He opened the door slowly and it revealed a person, on the ground, out cold.

CLIFFY POWER! REVIEW AND I'LL UPDATE! MUWAHAHAHA!


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't updated in four or five days. I had some family issues to deal with... So, here's the next chapter! I got 21 reviews, and I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy! -dances- Please continue to review!

Nothing big happens in this chapter. I don't know how serious injuries/sickness has to be for someone to go to the hospital. So, if Shuichi was sick enough, good. If he wasn't, let's just say...Yuki over-reacted? I think I made him a bit OOC. It was difficult because of the situation though... ARGH! -slaps self-

**This chapter is dedicated to Luciver and Rocky28, for helping me out with my family issue. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Read Luciver's story, because it's SO funny! It'll give you a break from all the angst that you're reading! And please read Rocky28's stories because she's review-hungry! **

**EDIT: I had a few errors that AngelofLight and Nuriko kurosaki pointed out! Sorry about them! I wasn't thinking straight because of my headache… I hope this helped! **

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. If I did...the world would be a much creepier place...

Chapter 6: Cold

At first, Yuki was shocked. He realized who it was almost immediately… It was Shuichi, his little fluff ball. And that was scary. He felt his breath leave him, his heart pump faster and his brain try to compute what he had just seen. 'I knew it!' he thought. He slowly walked over to Shuichi. 'I KNEW he wasn't okay, but I let him go to work anyway!' Guilt struck him like a tsunami. 'It's my fault…'

Yuki carefully lifted Shuichi up, his eyes softening as he looked at his lover's face. It was covered in sweat and was red. Yuki winced as he watched his lover's heavy breathing. He ran back into his house, carrying Shuichi bridal style. As he carried Shuichi back, he unlocked the door for some reason and felt Shuichi's forehead. It was hot, very hot. This only proceeded to worry Yuki further.

"Darn it…" he muttered. He placed Shuichi on the couch and rushed to the phone. He didn't know if Shuichi's sickness required medical treatment from a hospital, but he wasn't going to take the chances. He couldn't think straight, mostly because he didn't have the time. His brain was telling him to rush, because he didn't know what would happen to Shuichi if he didn't. Shuichi's heavy breathing colored the background of the scene. At first, Yuki couldn't remember the number he was supposed to be calling, but then he remembered. He dialed 911 an instant later.

"Hello?" a soft voice asked. "911, please state your emergency." Yuki let out a sigh of relief. He was worried that he had called the wrong number, as stupid as it sounded. He was a bit on the edge, so if someone like Tohma jumped in with bunny ears, he'd have seriously died on the spot.

"Yeah, uh…" Yuki began. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I found my…." He didn't know what to say, friend or boyfriend? Did it matter? Oh, screw that! "I found my boyfriend outside my door, unconscious… He's, uh, breathing heavy and has a high fever…"

"Ah, I see" the voice replied. Yuki now determined that the voice was feminine. "Well, so we don't take any risks, where do you live?" she asked. Yuki wondered how she could stay calm when he, on the other hand, was freaking out inside, and partly out.

"Uh, I live in an apartment on Konni Street" Yuki replied flatly. "It's called Lexington Estates, number four…" (1) Yuki let out a sigh of relief. He didn't have to talk anymore. He didn't want to. The last thing he needed to do was cry over the phone. THAT would really ruin his rep, forever.

But, for some reason, he was still worried. Shuichi had gotten sick before, he saw people faint before… But this…was different. He knew something else was going on, and that was something that was REALLY worrying him. His gut was never wrong, and it was telling him that something MORE than a normal sickness was going on. From that moment on, he was determined to find out.

"Ah, I see" she said. Yuki heard Shuichi's heavy breathing again. He cringed. "I'll send an ambulance as soon as I can. Please wait until then." Yuki's eyes drooped. He nodded and replied in the strongest voice he could muster.

"Yes, thank you…" Yuki breathed. He leaned up against the wall, asking for its support in a way. He didn't thank people often. 'That lady better be grateful…' he thought. But, he didn't regret it. He owed a lot to that lady, even though he'd never admit it. He owed her more than he could say…

"Please stay on the phone, sir, until the paramedics arrive" the lady told Yuki.

"Okay, whatever…" Yuki said. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Hold on. I'm still here, but I have to check something!"

Yuki groaned and slapped himself mentally. He was so worried about Shuichi that he actually forgot to check on him. He placed the phone down and rushed over, his head pounding. He could hear the lady's protests from the phone. She wanted to tell him some instrctions, but he couldn't stay and listen.Shuichi was still in the same spot on the couch. Yuki thanked God, or whoever was up there, that he hadn't fallen off. After all, didn't people will fevers have nightmares that caused them to toss and turn? He growled at himself, wishing he had thought more. He could've made things worse, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Suddenly, to his half-surprise, he heard sirens. He almost had a heart attack when he heard them. It was so quiet before, beside Shuichi's breathing. He had gotten used to it, and then WHAM! It was a good thing, though. That meant that Shuichi would get help, whether it needed such extreme measures or not.

The sirens got closer and closer, until it felt like they were right in front of the apartment. He stepped away from Shuichi so that the doctors could get to Shuichi easier. Once they came in (thankfully the door was unlocked) they immediately looked at Yuki, who pointed to the couch with his finger. It was shaking ever so slightly, but no one, not even Yuki, noticed that.

"They're here" Yuki breathed. His eyes were distant and cloudy. "The paramedics, I mean…"

"Ah yes, you can hang up now…" the lady said. She was supposed to be comforting Yuki, but he was away from the phone half the time. Yuki hung up immediately, still stunned.

The paramedics hauled Shuichi into the stretcher and out the door in minutes. Yuki just watched for a moment, zoning out of the world. He still couldn't believe what was happening. Ten minutes ago, (2) everything was fine. Sure, he was a bit concerned before, but it was nothing compared to this.

"Excuse me." A voice interrupted his thoughts. He faced the direction of the voice. It was a male paramedic with no hair. He had grey eyes and was a bit shorter than Yuki. He seemed to be looking sympathetic for Yuki. "Do you want to ride in the ambulance with him? I wasn't sure, because you were sort of staring into space…" Yuki's eyes widened immediately.

"Oh yes, of course!" he said a bit too loudly. The paramedic nodded and motioned for Yuki to follow him. Yuki followed without a second thought. He ran down his stairs, luckily not tripping as he did so, and he looked at the ambulance. Several people had gone outside to watch, or were watching from their windows or balconies. Yuki ignored them and followed the paramedic into the back of the ambulance. Shuichi was already there, still unconscious. Yuki crept over to him silently as the ambulance zoomed off.

They rode in silence. Only the beeping of the machines was heard. It was eerie, but soothing at the same time. Yuki didn't want to talk to anyone right now. He was so confused, so afraid. But it was strange. He was used to loudness ever since he started living with Shuichi. Shuichi and loud went together like dancing and singing. Silence was rare to him when his lover was near. And now, they were only inches apart, but it was quiet.

"I think he'll be alright" the paramedic said, disrupting the silence. He gave Yuki a quick smile. "He's your lover, right?" Yuki nodded slowly and hesitantly. "Well, as I said before, I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to do that." Yuki glared at the doctor.

"I'm not worried" he lied. "I'm just thinking about my latest novel. That's all. It takes a lot of thinking to make a book." Yuki realized that the paramedic wasn't buying it. "You're an idiot, ya know that?" Yuki added bitterly in desperation. He glanced at Shuichi before looking at the doctor again.

"I understand sir" the doctor said. "You're the shy type, aren't you?" He winked at Yuki. Yuki opened his mouth, giving the paramedic his famous I-hate-you-so-much-die look. "But I promise you, we'll try our best to help him. It doesn't seem life-threatening, but it was still smart to get him here." The paramedic added the last part to change the subject so that Yuki wouldn't kill him, because he knew a death glare when he saw one.

"Whatever" Yuki mumbled. He looked at the paramedic thoroughly before asking, "What's your stupid name?" The paramedic sighed and closed his eyes at Yuki's rudeness. He opened them slowly and rolled them. "Answer me, idiot."

"I'm Jeff Hiko" the paramedic replied flatly. He looked at Shuichi and his eyes softened. "Now, I think we're about to arrive. Please make a path so we can get your lover out of here and into the hospital." Yuki obeyed silently, moving to the side. The ambulance stopped, and some nurses and doctors came rushing in, carrying Shuichi into the hospital. Mr. Hiko motioned for Yuki to follow him.

"I'll escort you to the waiting room" he said. "You can wait there until we call you up. What's your name?" Yuki sighed and followed the paramedic out of the ambulance. He followed him to the hospital doors before responding. He didn't want everyone in a ten foot radius to hear him.

"Eiri, Eiri Uesugi" he said. The paramedic gasped. He opened the door for Yuki and followed him carefully, unable to think of what to say next. 'I'm talking to the famous romance novelist Eiri Uesugi, AKA Yuki Eiri?' he thought. 'That means….that that man was Shuichi Shindou, the vocalist!'

"Oh my!" he said. "Oh…my… So that pink-haired person was Shuichi Shindou, correct?" Yuki nodded as Mr. Hiko walked further into the hospital. People dashed around this way and that way, each of them intent on getting somewhere. "Oh, so I'm guessing you'll be getting a private room?" Yuki nodded again and rolled his eyes. "Ah, I see." They reached the waiting room. "I'll go tell them that. Sit down somewhere and wait please." He rushed into the distance.

"Idiot" Yuki muttered. "Might as well sit down…." he thought aloud. He looked at the waiting room. There were many empty chairs. People were crying, sitting in silence or looked like they didn't want to be there. Yuki sat down in the empty chair nearest to him and looked around him.

A lady with red hair was sitting next to him. She was weeping silently, a magazine covering her face. Yuki pitied her for a moment, and then looked to the other side of him. It was empty. He sighed and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He dialed Tohma's number. One the first ring, Tohma answered.

"Hello?" he asked. "NG president Tohma Seguchi speaking." Yuki growled. Tohma was too formal, he decided. He sighed, wondering why he called Tohma in the first place. Then he remembered and answered Tohma.

"Hey, it's Yuki. Could you look into something for me?" Yuki asked coldly, as if he was being bribed to ask. "It's really important" he added. Tohma gasped and seemed to go into his casual mode.

"Anything!" he cried. "What do you need me to look for?" Tohma sounded desperate. He loved to hear from Yuki, even if it was because Yuki wanted something from him. Tohma never really minded why Yuki called. He waited for Yuki's response impatiently, tapping his fingers on his desk.

"Look up Shuichi's father for me" Yuki demanded. Tohma blinked. He put down his latest document and gave his full attention to the phone. He was about to say something when Yuki said, "Don't ask why. Just do it, okay?"

"Of course, Eiri!" Tohma said. "I'll give you the information as soon as I can!" He hung up the phone and began searching for information about Shuichi's father like a mad scientist.

"_Ritsuka, don't worry!" Shuichi assured his shaking friend. They were in his room sitting on the bed. "It's okay. Please don't cry! I hate it when you cry!" Ritsuka's sadness turned into anger. His tears disappeared. _

"_How could he do this to you?" Ritsuka demanded. "I HATE HIM!" Shuichi opened his mouth to argue with his friend, but Ritsuka's glare shut him up. "I'm your friend Shuichi. I care about you. I can't just stand by while this is happening! I don't believe that I didn't realize sooner! I'm a horrible friend!" Shuichi hung his head in shame. Ritsuka's anger rose. _

"_I should've never told you…" Shuichi murmured. "I didn't want to make you worry… You're a great friend, Ritsuka, the best friend anyone can have!"_

"_I would've figured it out when we went swimming this year, so telling me just sped up the process" Ritsuka argued. "I'm gonna help you Shuichi…It's okay to make me worry right now. You should be thinking about yourself." He was cut off by the opening of the door. It creaked slowly and quietly, but both Shuichi and Ritsuka heard it. Shuichi gulped. _

"_Hello Ritsuka" a cold, deep voice said. "Nice to see you today." His eyes glimmered. "It seems like Shuichi told you something he shouldn't have, eh Shuichi?" _

(1) I don't know where Yuki and Shuichi live, so I made something up...

(2) Also, I don't know how long it usually takes for ambulances to arrive, so I improvised a bit! Sorry!

A/N: Was that a cliffy? If it was, I apologize. Please don't hit me. I'm still not thinking straight... I was sick all day today, but went to school anyways, which didn't help at all... So, I apologize for any errors. It's probably because my head pounds when I type... -cringes- Okay, please read and review! Maybe I'll feel better if you do! PLEASE! And now, I can't rest until I do this, even if it kills me!

Deji: My head hurts...

Yuki: It should. You probably tried to think a few minutes ago, and it was too much for your small brain.

Deji: Shut up or you'll die in my story... Along with Shuichi... -bonks Yuki on the head-

Yuki: -shuts up-

Shuichi: I dun wanna die! -is drugged- Yuki, make the butterflies go to New Jersey!

Yuki: WTF?

Shuichi: Well, the White House is there...

Yuki: -sighs- Baka...

Deji: I thought the White House was in Washington DC, which is every state, mind you! It's next to every McDonald's and car wash! I know this for a fact! -drops dead-

Yuki + Shuichi: ...YAY! -celebrate-


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys! I updated, and I'm very happy! I'm no longer sick, and I fixed the errors in chapter 6. Yeah, sorry 'bout them. I wasn't really thinking straight 'cause of my headache. I hope you enjoy the chapter! It's gonna get suspensful again in the next chapter. You'll see why in the last sentence.

Thanks to all my reviewers! I'd just like to say that I'd rather have someone just review my story than put it on their favorite's list. I really do. And thanks to my friend Luciver, for giving me an "OK" on the chapter! -hugs her- She's too awesome for words...

Oh, and I'd like to say that the more reviews I get, the faster I update. If I get enough reviews, I'll update tomorrow. Remember that when you are about to leave the page after reading...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation, but I do own Mr. Hiko! -huggles him- He rocks! (he's the paramedic!)

Chapter 7: Darkness Falls

It was dark. So very dark…. It was as if a black hole was trying to suck the light out of everything. But, it felt good, Shuichi had to admit. He was lost, lost among the many miles of darkness surrounding him. And he liked it. No one could get him here, not his father, or the things he brought up. But, at the same time, he hated it. He couldn't see Hiro OR Yuki. He couldn't see anything. It was all just a black blur of nothingness.

It was difficult to breathe, but Shuichi didn't know why. Was the darkness suffocating him? That would explain the heat… He couldn't move. It was like he was paralyzed, but he knew he wasn't. It was so confusing, but so relieving. He could escape, if only for a little while.

He thought about what he saw last. It was the door. He remembered exactly what he was doing. After walking for awhile, he finally got home, his head pounding and his vision blurring. He was almost there, too. He had the keys in his hand, had them go into the keyhole. But, then the darkness came and engulfed him. He couldn't help but fall into it and drop the keys, leaving the last sound he heard as a jingle. It echoed throughout his head.

'I wonder what Yuki will think when he finds me out here' Shuichi thought. 'Maybe he's mad… After all, I probably made a mess right in front of his apartment… Oh darn it; I'm such an idiot…' And then, to stop the pain, Shuichi decided to stop thinking for awhile.

Meanwhile, Yuki twiddled his thumbs anxiously. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked around him, and realized that the redheaded lady had left. Instead, a man, about thirty-five, was sitting next to him. The man was silent and wore a simple black suit. He kept closing his eyes and leaning back, as if trying to grasp something that wasn't there.

"Eiji Kimoto" the nurse at the front desk called. Yuki almost jumped up and ran to the lady when he heard "Ei", but his hopes were diminished almost immediately. It wasn't him. It was another lucky jerk. Yuki sighed miserably. He hated waiting, especially in this situation. A teenager came up to the desk. Yuki glared at him enviously. He looked away, not wanting to invade this kid's personal life.

An hour went by. Yuki was beyond worried. He was practically jumping every single time the nurse called out a name. He desperately wanted the nurse to call HIS name, so that he could see Shuichi. He had to find out what was going on. He hoped that Shuichi could answer his questions, but he wondered if Shuichi would tell him what the answers were. Ever since that phone call, Shuichi had been acting a bit weird, and Yuki was finally going to say something.

Suddenly, Yuki's cell phone rang. He jumped and reached into his pocket. He answered the call in his most deadly voice ever. "Hello?" he demanded. "Who the heck is calling me now?" He glared at his phone.

"It's me, Tohma" the voice breathed. "I found that information you asked for." Yuki's face softened. "It's about Shuichi's dad, as requested. Apparently, his name is Anoiji. He's forty-four years old and just recently moved back to Tokyo." Tohma paused. He took out another document and skimmed through it.

"Anything else?" Yuki asked. "I mean, what does he look like? Where exactly does he live? And what's his background? Has he been in jail or anything like that?" Tohma let out a sigh of frustration. He threw a few papers around until he found the one with a picture of Anoiji.

"He has black hair and reddish eyes" Tohma explained. "He's about as tall as you and, from what I can tell, is a bit on the slim side. It's hard to tell though…" He groaned and rubbed his eyes. He had been reading non-stop for the past hour, and he hadn't had sleep for god-knows how many days. "He lives on Hachi Street, a few blocks away from your apartment. His background? I saw no criminal record. Why?"

"Wait, he lives nearby?" Yuki repeated. Tohma let out a, "Mm hmm" and closed his eyes. "Okay, so basically, he seems okay, right? Nothing out of the ordinary?" Tohma rubbed his temple tiredly. He let a yawn escape him, and frowned, rereading another document.

"Well, he left the Shindou family house ten years ago" Tohma said flatly. "He divorced Sakura Shindou, Mr. Shindou's mother, around that time. It seems pretty normal to me. But, people said that the divorce was a bit sudden. Many were surprised, but none were upset."

"Ah, anything else?" Yuki asked. He felt guilty for asking Tohma this when Tohma was obviously exhausted, but he had to find out if his suspicions were correct. It was more important at the moment. "Does it say if he got along with Shuichi?" Tohma shook his head, not caring that Yuki couldn't see him.

"No, it doesn't say anything of the sort" Tohma confirmed. "It also doesn't say anything to support the claim that he didn't get along with Mr. Shindou either, so I can't be sure." He groaned again, unable to keep his eyes open. "But it did say that Mr. Shindou didn't make any effort to visit his father, and neither had his father. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering" Yuki lied. "Alright Tohma, I'll see you later…" Tohma yawned and said his goodbyes to Yuki before hanging up the phone and falling asleep. Yuki frowned. Something didn't seem right.

'Well, that destroys my idea of his father losing contact of Shuichi because he found out his son was gay' Yuki thought. 'So, why wouldn't he try to talk to Shuichi until ten years later?' He sighed and then remembered that Shuichi was in the hospital. He put his phone in his pocket and looked over to that man in the suit.

The man was crying now, silently, rocking back and forth. Yuki pitied the man slightly, because obviously he was going through a similar situation, or the man was just dramatic like Shuichi could be, crying ten times a day. He was covering his face with his hands, and he was trying to stop his tears, but he couldn't.

"Eiri Uesugi?" the nurse called. Yuki jumped up immediately. He felt like a giant weight had fallen off of his shoulders. He power-walked instead of ran, so he wouldn't be caught in an OOC moment, towards the desk. The nurse smiled kindly at him, and he took that as good news, unless this nurse was a twisted freak to nature… She had green eyes and blonde hair.

"Ah, hello" she said. "You are here for Mr. Shindou, correct?" Yuki nodded firmly. "He's okay, Mr. Uesugi. He's still asleep though, because his fever is lingering. We're sorry for the wait. There were a few 'code-red' emergencies at the time." She paused and asked the question Yuki was willing, and as he admitted later, praying, for her to say. "Would you like to see him?"

"Yes!" Yuki barked. He stood up a bit straighter and stared directly into the nurse's eyes. "What floor is he on, and what's his room number?" The nurse looked down at her sheet and nodded slowly. She smiled at him again and opened her mouth to speak. Yuki thanked God, or whoever was up there causing this, that this girl either didn't recognize him or was a normal, civilized person. Either way was fine with him.

"He's on floor five" the nurse instructed. "Do you know where the elevator is?" Yuki nodded quickly. "Okay, his room number is 444. Got everything?" Yuki nodded. "Okay, good luck with your boyfriend, Yuki!" she called as he stormed off.

Yuki ignored the blonde and kept walking until he found the elevator. He pressed the button and waited impatiently, tapping his foot angrily. He wanted to get to Shuichi as soon as he could. The elevator door opened and Yuki walked inside without a second's hesitation. A fat lady was in the elevator, and she kept talking to him, but Yuki ignored her and pressed the button that said 5. The elevator zoomed up, and in seconds, they arrived at the fifth floor.

Yuki ran out of the elevator and walked down the hall. It was filled with nurses and doctors, some scrambling and some walking slowly down the hall to another room. Yuki rushed past them, looking only at the numbers on the rooms. '440…..' he thought as he walked. '441…… 442….. 443…. 444!' He smiled weakly before looking at the door to room 444. He opened it quickly.

Inside, it was white. The room looked exactly as he had pictured it. It had the desk, the bed, the machines and the dullness. Yuki frowned and slowly walked over to the bed. There lay Shuichi, his eyes closed and his breathing now normal. Yuki sighed in relief. He dragged a chair next to the bed and sat down, watching his lover's every breath.

It was soothing, almost like music. Breathing was a sign of life, as was music, if you really thought about it. You could be singing about death, but you're still alive. You could be listening to a song by a dead guy, but it still means that the singer had lived and made a song, so really, the person still lived on. So, Yuki enjoyed Shuichi's breathing for the time being.

Something interrupted the breathing. It was a soft cry coming from Shuichi's mouth. Shuichi started to toss and turn furiously in the bed. "Stop…." he murmured. "Please, don't do it…. No, I didn't mean to…. Please…" The next part was inaudible, but Yuki could tell that Shuichi was in distress.

'Should I wake him up?' Yuki wondered. 'Or does he have to sleep more? Darn it!' He growled and watched Shuichi groan and start to whimper. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. When he opened them, he saw another pair of eyes locking with his. They were violet; they were Shuichi's eyes.

"Yuki?" Shuichi mumbled. He had bags under his eyes, and he yawned cutely. "Is that you?" Yuki nodded slowly. "Oh, hi…. Are you mad at me?" Shuichi didn't even bother to look around. He just stared at Yuki and tried to sit up.

"Whoa!" Yuki called. "Don't sit up so quickly! You have a fever, dimwit!" Shuichi's face fell. "No, I'm not angry at you. How can I possibly blame you for getting sick?" Shuichi sighed and gave a pleading look to Yuki.

"Well, I…." Shuichi said softly. He looked at his surroundings, finally. He gasped. "Hey, this isn't your apartment… Where am I?" Shuichi started to panic, but Yuki put his hand on his shoulder.

"You're at the hospital" Yuki informed him. "Calm down. You're not dying, and no one's gonna kill you." Shuichi let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed his temple because his evil headache was returning, along with the dizziness, though not as bad as before. "Why didn't you call me if you knew you weren't feeling well?" Yuki demanded. "It would've saved me a lot of trouble."

"I'm sorry Yuki…" Shuichi said quietly. "I didn't think of that…. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me…!" Shuichi gasped and started swaying. "Hey, everything spinning…." Yuki caught Shuichi before he fell down.

"Ugh, don't be so loud" Yuki demanded. "You're gonna hurt yourself. Haven't I told you that you're sick? That's the whole reason you're here." Shuichi nodded slowly and leaned back into Yuki's embrace. Yuki rolled his eyes. "Who were you talking about?" Shuichi blinked.

"What are you talking about?" Shuichi questioned. "Just now? I was talking about you, of course! Remember, I was apologizing…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sleepy… and my head hurts."

"I'll get the doctor" Yuki said. He carefully placed Shuichi back on the bed and left the room. He returned with a doctor, who was called Dr. Kik. Dr. Kik checked in on Shuichi, asking him all sorts of questions and stuff. He left the room a few minutes later, after he gave Shuichi a pill for his headache. The doctor advised for Shuichi to stay calm and not to bounce around before he left.

"Well, that'll be hard for someone like you to do" Yuki teased. "You're always bouncing off the walls. I might have to send you back here again…." He smirked evilly at Shuichi, and Shuichi growled.

"Meanie…" he pouted. "Hey, when do I get to leave?" He tugged on Yuki's shirt lazily. He was still a bit tired and dizzy, so he used it partly for support and partly for comfort. He looked up at his lover and smiled weakly.

"Dunno" Yuki replied flatly. "No one told me. If I could guess, I'd say tomorrow. I can probably take care of you at home by tomorrow." Shuichi's eyes became hearts.

"You're gonna take care of me?" Shuichi asked happily, forgetting about those memories tugging at the back of his head. "YAY! Yuki loves me! He's gonna take care of…me…." Shuichi collapsed on to Yuki's chest and closed his eyes.

"Baka, I told you not to get too excited…" Yuki mumbled and he rolled his eyes. He smiled down at his sleeping lover.

Meanwhile, a certain black-haired man walked into the hospital.

A/N: That wasn't a cliffy, right? PLEASE TELL ME IT WASN'T! Even if it is, I'll update tomorrow if people are really interested. So, no worries, right? -avoids meat hook- I just never know where to end my chapters! GAH! XX Don't yell at me! Or I won't update at all because I'll be avoiding the meat hook of doom! And that'll just make things worse! So, please just read and review. If you do, I'll update tomorrow! (if I get enough reviews)

Oh, and if you like the convos, tell me in the review. If you don't, just don't say anything. I'm gonna see how many people enjoy them, so I don't write them for nothing. ADIOS!


	9. Chapter 8

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday... My mom had to use the computer for awhile, and then the power went off because my mom was screwing around with it... TT I made this chapter slightly longer to make you guys happy!

Oh, btw, Anoiji is a name I made up. It's pronounced A (as in animal)- no (self explanatory)- e (say "e")- g (say "g") Anoiji! Mr. Hiko is He-co and Dr. Kik is "kick".Yeah, just wanted to mention that...

Oh, and thanks for all the reviews! No one killed me, which is good! I have so many reviews! Thank you! I read and reply to every single one, except anonymous ones. Last time I did that, I got reported, and this story almost got deleted... I do read the anonymous ones though! So don't think I'm ignoring you guys!

Oh, and no more convos from me! And Luciver, I'm expecting an update from you today!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. (but I do own Dr. Kik, Mr. Hiko and Anoiji!) If I did, the Genzo tracks would be longer and updated quicker. TT

* * *

Chapter 8: Surprises

Anoiji Shindou looked at the halls of the hospital casually. He wore a blue shirt with jeans. His eyes were glimmering again, and he scared anyone who dared to look him in the eye. He gave every nurse and doctor the shivers, but they dismisses their fears for Anoiji's eyes. They thought, 'It must just be the eyes', but their guts were telling them something completely different. And, as they say, you should always listen to your gut.

Anoiji glared at the nurse at the front desk. The petite blonde nurse blushed and tried to look Anoiji in the eye. It was hard task for her. She was shivering a bit, and she calmly gave him a fake smile.

"H-hello sir!" she said kindly. She chuckled nervously as she looked at him, but Anoiji kept glaring. She sighed and tried to speak to the creepy man again. "A-are you here to visit anyone?" Anoiji nodded sternly.

"I just went to visit my son, and I realized that he wasn't home" he said bitterly. "Then, I got a call from someone telling me he was here. His name is Shuichi Shindou. Tell me where his room is, now." He growled. The nurse nodded quickly.

"And you are?" she asked meekly. Anoiji growled and told her his name, number and address. She checked on her computer and nodded. "You name, address and appearance is correct, and you're family to Shuichi. His room number is 444. It's on the fifth floor…." Anoiji nodded and stormed off, leaving the nurse to let out a sigh of relief. "Creepy…" she thought aloud. She smiled brightly to the next person who came up to her.

Anoiji was frustrated. He couldn't have Shuichi in the hospital! That wouldn't work for him at all! He growled and stomped his way to the elevator. People moved out of his way immediately. They all knew that this man wasn't one to be reckoned with, just by looking at him. They moved aside and Anoiji stomped into the elevator.

Anoiji pressed the button that said 5 in the elevator and began to curse loudly, upsetting the mother in the elevator. She was about to walk up to the man, keeping her children away, but once she saw him, she backed off. She sighed and covered her daughter's ears. She hoped that the man would leave soon. She didn't want him to influence her innocent little girl.

Thankfully, he left as soon as the elevator stopped. Anoiji looked around with hatred. He hated every single person in the hospital, every single door, every single tile. He hated it all, with a passion. After all, this was the place that was disrupting his plan. He kicked the wall and continued walking until he came to room 444. Anoiji rudely walked inside, his eyes softening as soon as he opened the door.

When he came inside the room, he put on a concerned and worried face. He looked jumpy and worried. Immediately, he noticed that Shuichi was asleep in Yuki's arms. He held in his need to glare at Yuki. He sighed and walked over to Yuki. Yuki's eyes shoot up at the man and he gave him a suspicious frown.

"Who're you?" Yuki demanded. He placed Shuichi back in the bed. Anoiji watched carefully. "Hello! I asked who the heck you are! You can't just come barging in here, ya know!" He gave the man his famous I-hate-you-die glare and waited for a response.

"Ah, sorry!" Anoiji replied in the kindest voice he could muster. "I'm Shuichi's father, Anoiji Shindou! I heard the news that he had to go to the hospital, so I rushed here immediately. You're Yuki, right?" Yuki nodded slowly and urged for the man to continue. "Okay, is my son alright? Please tell me he's alright! Please!" Anoiji pleaded.

"He's fine" Yuki growled. "He's just got a fever. Now, let me ask you something, mister. Who told you that Shuichi was hospitalized? The media hasn't found out yet, and from what I understand, only Tohma, Shuichi and I know he's here, besides the doctors." He narrowed his eyes. "You have some explaining to do."

"Oh!" Anoiji cried. "I'm sorry! I should've explained earlier!" He scratched his head and sighed. "I went to the apartment to visit my son, since I now know where he lives. When I was about to knock, a kind lady told me that neither of you were home. She said that Shuichi was carried into an ambulance, so I rushed right over!" Anoiji stood next to Shuichi's bed and smiled sweetly. "I'm just glad it's nothing serious… And that he'll be alright…"

"Hmmm" Yuki muttered. 'That makes sense….I guess…' he thought. 'Ugh, either this guy is telling the truth, or he's a really quick thinker. I can't tell him to leave now, because I don't have any proof, and Shuichi might find out.' "I guess your story makes sense, for now… Wait, why are you suddenly all concerned about your son? You haven't seen him for ten years. You didn't even try. And now you're all worried, acting like the loving father?" Anoiji sighed miserably.

"Well, I was very poor when I left Tokyo for the first time" Anoiji explained. "I couldn't pay for a court hearing. And even if I did get partial custody of my son, I wouldn't be able to afford tickets or anything. I left my business back in Tokyo, so I had nothing. I tried for years to find a job. It was hard, since I didn't finish high school.

"So, I decided to finish school, and be able to get better jobs. I finished high school, and then went to college for six years. I got a great job that paid very well. Finally, I had enough money to visit my son, and I didn't need to ask for custody. He was already legal. It was perfect, so I flew right back to Tokyo, looking for my son!"

"Whoa, okay…" Yuki said, considering Anoiji's story. "I guess that makes sense. But why six years? I mean, you could've gotten a decent job going for two or four years." Yuki looked at Anoiji again, and saw his mouth open.

"Well, I wanted to become a doctor, or something that required a lot of education, so I could impress my son" Anoiji admitted. "I didn't want to come to Tokyo and tell him that I was working at a grocery store." Anoiji ran his fingers through Shuichi's hair.

Suddenly, Shuichi's eyes shot open. He looked around nervously, and his eyes lied on to his father, red clashing with violet. He paled instantly. He sat up quickly, causing his head to hurt. He ignored the pounding headache and looked around with bewilderment. 'When did dad get here?' he wondered. His eyes widened as his father gave him a sympathetic smile. It looked so real…

"Dad, is that really you?" Shuichi asked, his voice quivering. He quickly corrected himself and told himself to stay calm. He couldn't let Yuki know that he was afraid. Besides, his father couldn't hurt him when Yuki was around. Yuki was tough and even scary sometimes. Anoiji nodded softly at his son's question.

"Yes, I heard the news from your neighbor" he explained. "I was coming to visit you when she told me. Then I rushed over here! Are you alright?" His voice was dripping with concern, and Shuichi couldn't understand why. Was this the same person who ruined everything ten years ago? Anoiji gracefully rubbed Shuichi's head. He looked so worried and kind. It was creepy, like seeing Yuki laugh his head off. It just wasn't right… Shuichi cringed.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he said weakly. "I guess I just overworked myself. Hehehehehe…" His father was still staring at him, so Shuichi continued. "It's just a fever, no big deal. I'm sorry… I should've called a cab if I wasn't feeling well." He was so confused. Since when did his dad care? Anoiji nodded with understanding.

"Well, be more careful from now on" his father advised. "I don't want you to get a serious illness. Maybe I should talk to your manager?" Shuichi shook his head quickly. He did NOT want Anoiji to talk to K. It would be very scary, very terrifying. He could only imagine what would happen, thankfully. "Oh, okay. Are you sure?" Shuichi nodded. "Okay, do you know when you'll be better?"

"He'll be leaving tomorrow" Yuki interrupted. "I'm taking him home. Don't worry though. He'll be fine." Yuki glared at Anoiji, willing for the man to leave. Anoiji sighed and nodded. He waved goodbye to Shuichi and left the room, telling Shuichi that he loved him as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey Shuichi…" Yuki called. But he realized that Shuichi had already fallen asleep. He sighed and decided to ask the doctor some questions. He stood up and walked out the door until he found Shuichi's doctor, Dr. Kik.

"Ah, hello Mr. Uesugi" Dr. Kik said softly once he saw Yuki. He slowly walked over to him. "Is Mr. Shindou alright? Is he feeling ill? Did he fall or start coughing?" Yuki shook his head. "Oh, then what is it? Do you want my advice? Or maybe you want to know more about how Mr. Shindou got sick, so it doesn't happen again?" Yuki nodded.

"Ah, okay" Dr. Kik said. "Mr. Shindou should stay away from stress. Apparently, his illness was caused by a major amount of stress. It's probably from his job. It is a very stressful job after all. I suggest he takes a few days off and relaxes." Yuki nodded again.

"Oh, stress?" he asked. Dr. Kik nodded. It reminded Yuki of himself. He was always under stress. But he had a feeling that Shuichi's job wasn't the problem. Shuichi loved singing. And sometimes, he'd work twenty-four hours straight because his manager started threatening them. He never got sick then. And besides, they weren't extremely busy either. Yuki had a feeling it had something to do with Anoiji. "Well, when will he be released?"

"Oh, I'd say tomorrow" Dr. Kik said casually. "He's recovered well. I'll just have to give him some medication. And you'll have to take care of him for a few days while he recovers. And you can't leave his side unless you have to. He could get lightheaded and fall, or maybe ever worse. If you can do that, he can leave tomorrow."

"Sure" Yuki said. "He'll be leaving tomorrow. I just finished my last novel anyway. I have the next month off, so it's no big deal." Dr. Kik nodded with understanding. "Yeah, so can I take him in the morning, or is it the afternoon? Does it matter?"

"Umm…morning would be preferred" Dr. Kik said. Yuki agreed whole-heartedly. He walked back into Shuichi's room and watched his lover sleep. He waited until the next morning to wake Shuichi up.

* * *

In the morning, the birds weren't singing and the sun wasn't shining. It was raining, no, pouring. Everything outside was drenched, including the people. Shuichi woke up on his own. He stretched and yawned as he looked out the window with dismay. He noticed that Yuki was not there. He started to panic. He felt much better when Yuki was with him.

Suddenly, Yuki walked inside. He held a prescription in his hand. He gestured for Shuichi to get out of bed. Shuichi did as he was told, overjoyed that Yuki hadn't left him. He smiled before losing his balance. Once again, Yuki was there to catch him.

"Darn, you're still weak…" Yuki muttered. Shuichi's face fell. Yuki sighed. "Oh well… I guess I'll just have to sit on the couch and watch TV with you. I'll have to make you something to eat, too. I bet you're hungry." Yuki watched Shuichi's eyes turn into hearts again. He groaned. 'What did I just do?' he wondered.

"Yay Yuki!" Shuichi said, giving Yuki a glomp. He managed to keep his energy level as low as possible. "You're gonna stay with me, the whole day?" Yuki rolled his eyes and regretfully nodded. The 'stupid' doctor said he had to stay with Shuichi for the next few days, and he knew it was probably needed.

So, Shuichi and Yuki left the hospital in the rain. (Yuki had an umbrella!) Shuichi was overjoyed and Yuki looked annoyed. He stayed behind Shuichi, saying that he was tired from watching Shuichi, but he really wanted to be able to catch Shuichi if he fell.

Yuki drove in silence with Shuichi in the passenger seat. First, they went tothe drug storeto get Shuichi's medicine.They had to wait a few minutes, but after that it took the two only about fifteen minutes to get back to the apartment. They exited the car. Shuichi waited patiently by the door, his eyes glimmering, even though there wasn't a sign of the sun. Yuki opened the door with his key and the two went inside. Shuichi immediately went to the couch, almost falling two separate times. Yuki rolled his eyes.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, brat" Yuki called. He walked to the kitchen. "I'm gonna make you some ramen." Shuichi nodded. Yuki slowly walked to the kitchen. Suddenly, he remembered that he didn't know where the ramen was. Shuichi was the one who put the ramen and pocky in their places, so Yuki never knew where they were. He sighed and walked back into the den, not making even one sound. But he definitely heard something…

Shuichi was…crying? Yuki paused and watched Shuichi cry silently, keeping himself away from Shuichi's view. He watched for a few moments, realizing that Shuichi was purposely being quiet. He didn't want Yuki to hear him. Yuki dropped the idea of asking Shuichi where the ramen was. He'd find it eventually. Shuichi let out another silent sob, shaking.

That was when Yuki got really worried. Something was wrong, and he was determined to find out.

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A/N: So, did you like it? PLEASE REVIEW! I love it when you do! Hey, that rhymes! Well, this chapter was dedicated to the wondeful Genzo tracks. (You should read them!) Especially the scene where Yuki was sleeping... -drools- Oh, the Genzo tracks are the continuation of Gravitation, btw. (Have I said that before?) Anyways, plz review! The more people review, the quicker I update! If I get a TREMENDOUS amount of reviews, I'll update tonight. Don't count on it though! Thanks for reading! (oh, and check out my profile! I added some quotes that I made up!) 


	10. Chapter 9

Hey guys! This is the longest chapter yet! (over 3000 words, without my long ANs!)WOOT! I worked hard on it, for about...five hours. For two hours though, I pulled a blank and wished for my plot bunnies to return to me... But then I remembered what I planned to do in the beginning (I forgot somehow...)and went for it! (I thank Dashboard Confessional and its song 'Hands Down' and Staind with the song Right Here'for the sudden rememberance!)I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is one of my (IMO) best chapters!

Thanks for the tremendous amount of reviews last chapter, 25 reviews, all positive! OO I was shocked. I was gonna update sooner because you guys made me so overjoyed, but I got busy my original story (I'm obsessed with it) andfrom schoolwork. (3rd quarter stinks...TT) My teachers kept giving me all this long homework that took all night to finish! They're so evil! Anyways, they're staying at the bay now, since we just finished the State Math Exam. (I studied for that like crazy! I better pass!) And someone that I know's brother died, so that also made them nicer... I wish the guy didn't die though, even if it gave me more computer time. ;;

**Oh, and please read my latest story, 'Just a Shadow', because I worked very hard on it! Trust me, I spent hours perfecting it, because I was determined to impress all of you!**

**And I realized that a lot of you are yaoi fans. Sorry that I can't please you with yaoi scenes! But I am only thirteen, so you can't ask me to. :P Unless you want to taint an innocent (or not so innocent) mind. Thanks for tolerating it thought, since most of you are old enough to enjoy that kind of stuff! I apologize! **

**This chapter will definitely shock you! Here comes a major twist, that NO ONE expected! WOOT! -beams- I feel so powerful, because I will surprise all of you! MUWAHAHAHA! -coughs- Drat, I hope I stop getting sick all the time! TT **

**AND NO FLAMES! I HATE FLAMES! THEY WILL BE DELETED AND IGNORED! People who flame stories are very stupid, because that means they don't understand what 'constructive critisism' is and are stupid and mean!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation

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Chapter 9: Helpless 

Time slowed down as Yuki leaned up against the wall to think. Shuichi had never hid anything from him before. If Shuichi was upset, he would cry. If Shuichi was angry, he would yell. If Shuichi was happy, he would smile. He "wore his heart on his sleeve", as Yuki would constantly say. Yuki always claimed that it was annoying, but at least it gave you an idea what he was thinking.

But now, something was bothering his petite lover, and he didn't know what. That stunned him for a moment, because he never thought his lover would hide anything. And it definitely wasn't something stupid, or good, either. Yuki knew it was serious by the way Shuichi was crying. He was so desperately trying to stop, but he couldn't. When Shuichi cried over stupid things, he wouldn't hold anything in. He'd cry a river every single time he saw a sad movie. So, what was causing Shuichi such torment?

Yuki's eyes narrowed. He tried to remember when Shuichi started acting strangely. It was in the morning, a few days ago, right after Yuki told Shuichi about the phone call… 'Wait, who was calling?' Yuki thought. He snapped his fingers silently. 'It was his father, that Anoiji guy!' Shuichi let out another anguished sob, and Yuki cringed mentally. He sighed and decided to let Shuichi think he knew nothing until he actually found proof of something…

'It was his father' Yuki confirmed. 'His father made him feel so…sad. I knew I was on to something when I asked Tohma about him, that Anoiji. I'm always right. It has to be that; nothing else would make sense in this situation. That guy did give me a creepy vibe. It was like he was trying to kill me with his smile…' Yuki shuddered. He paused and slowly walked back to the kitchen. He'd find the ramen by himself. 'But what did he do?' Yuki wondered. 'Well, I guess I'd better find that out soon…'

Yuki came back to the couch with a cup of ramen five minutes later. It was in this cabinet that he never even knew existed until he saw the ramen. It was amazing how he was still finding new things in this apartment he had lived in for months. To Shuichi, he seemed distant, and his eyes looked blank. Shuichi immediately wiped his eyes and put on a smile for Yuki. He tried hard to seem excited. He even tried to jump for joy, but he fell; and once again, Yuki had to catch him as he rolled his eyes. Yuki sat down on the couch next to Shuichi. He noted that Shuichi was very pale and he looked exhausted. His face was red, confirming the suspicion of the fever lingering on.

"Baka, you should be more careful" he muttered as he handed the ramen to Shuichi. "Don't burn yourself, either. I'm not going to the emergency room again, got that?" Shuichi nodded silently. He hung his head sadly and ate his ramen. Yuki slapped himself mentally. He never meant to make Shuichi upset. Correction: He never meant to make Shuichi more upset. Shuichi was already depressed enough, over something that Yuki didn't exactly know about.

"Yuki?" Shuichi asked quietly. He slurped a bit of his ramen as quietly as possible. He didn't want to get scolded by Yuki. For some reason, every time someone yelled at him, or was angry at him, Shuichi felt upset. It was worse than usual. 'It's because dad came back, and I realize that sometimes people really do mean what they say…' Shuichi thought vaguely. He sighed and waited for Yuki to respond, or give recognition to his question. He doubted it. He sighed as another memory came back to him like a rock.

* * *

"_You're a piece of shit, you know that?" his dad demanded from the shadows. "Yes you know exactly how disgusting and horrible you are! Why do you live? I should just kill you, because your existence is just a bother! Or maybe that stupid friend of yours, Ritsuka, I believe. He's the same as you, you know. Neither of you can do anything right! You're all failures! I can't believe I'm your father!"

* * *

_

"What?" Yuki asked. He tried to hide his annoyance. He was deep in thought, and didn't want to be disturbed. But yelling at Shuichi would destroy the point. He wanted Shuichi to be happy, so making him feel bad wouldn't do any good. Yuki needed to fix this problem that Shuichi had, even though he didn't know exactly what it was. Yuki sighed and turned towards Shuichi. He watched Shuichi sigh softly.

"Well, I was just wondering, how did you find me outside?" Shuichi asked meekly. "I mean, I was outside, right? I don't remember… Well, anyways, how did you find me? I mean, how would you have seen me if I was outside? Weren't you supposed to be typing your story?" Yuki growled lowly.

"Why do you wanna know that?" Yuki asked, slightly annoyed. He hated when the 'brat' asked so many unnecessary questions. Shuichi shrugged and looked straight up into Yuki's eyes. Yuki sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Well, I was going outside to get more cigarettes because I ran out. And I just happened to find you right outside my door, unconscious. And then I had to call 911 and everything… Ugh…." Shuichi let out a small whimper. He bit his lip anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Yuki" Shuichi said. He turned away towards the TV. "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. I should've gone to Hiro's if I knew I wasn't feeling well. Then you wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble." He paused and faced Yuki again. "Can you forgive me?" Shuichi felt so guilty. He never liked to anger Yuki. He just wanted to make Yuki happy, but he could never accomplish that. He only caused everyone trouble.

"What?" Yuki demanded. He glared at Shuichi. "Stop apologizing! It wasn't your fault that you got sick! No one wants to get sick, and few people say, "Oh, I'm gonna get sick today! Yay!" So stop apologizing! It's fine! I don't mind, okay?" He took a deep breath and sighed. Shuichi looked worse than before. He yelled at himself mentally. "Look, I would've rather had you tell me earlier so that wouldn't have happened, but it doesn't matter now. Forget it."

"You sure Yuki?" Shuichi asked. "I mean, you're not mad at me?" Yuki shook his head. "Oh, okay…" A smile crept on to his lips. "Wait, were you actually worried about me before?" he asked slyly. "It seems like it. After all, you didn't have to wait for me to wake up; you could've just left and waited for me to come back, am I right? No one forced you to stay. So it must've been because of me!" Shuichi seemed to find his spirits and his real smile returned to his face. Yuki turned red.

"No, it wasn't because of that" Yuki lied. He searched for some words he could use. He groped around in his mind until he found something. "That Hiro guy would've killed me if I hadn't gone. And besides, if I hadn't stayed, the nurses or doctors would've spilled that you had to go to the hospital. Then, all your crazy, stupid fans would think you're dying. They'd come to MY door and chant YOUR name. I would've never been able to write with their noise." He rubbed his temple to emphasize his point. Shuichi's smiled transformed into a frown of disappointed, but expectance.

"Oh" Shuichi said. He sounded a bit surprised, but not greatly. It was as if he knew that Yuki would tell him something different than what he wanted to hear. He felt like covering his ears and listening to himself talk for Yuki. Sometimes Shuichi wondered if Yuki really cared, or if those excuses really were just excuses that Yuki cooked up in the moment. It was a popular though for him, wondering if Yuki loved him. He hoped those little incidents where Yuki was kind to him were real, and not just things he made up to please himself later on. "Okay…" he whispered. He wished his head would stop pounding for a moment, so he could think straight. It was disrupting his concentration.

"Hey" Yuki said. It came out of nowhere. Shuichi looked up at Yuki, slightly startled. "What's with your dad?" He wanted to slowly inch towards the problem. Maybe it would slip out accidentally, or so Yuki deeply hoped. "I mean, you didn't seem particularly sad when he had to leave. Is he annoying or mean, or something like that?" Shuichi gasped, surprised as to what the conversation was about. He was also surprised that Yuki was curious about his life for once.

"Oh, he's okay" Shuichi lied. He twiddled his thumbs. "He was a nice guy, and he always let me do whatever I wanted. He just didn't get along with Mom. Other than that, he was nice…" Shuichi couldn't think of anything else to say. He wished he did, though, because he didn't want Yuki to become suspicious. That was why he only cried when Yuki left. He was so afraid, though, that Anoiji would pop up again. Just the sight of him caused Shuichi to shudder mentally and/or physically. Shuichi didn't even want to imagine what Anoiji would DO. Suddenly, he came up with something else to say, to break the silence that had just recently filled the room. "I wasn't sad when he left because my head was hurting, like it is now…" He cringed. He was only partly lying. His head did hurt. "I couldn't really think. I didn't even notice that he left until I woke up again."

Yuki didn't buy one bit of it. He knew every word Shuichi said was a lie, except maybe that his head hurt. That was believable. But Shuichi's dad being a nice guy? That was such a joke; Yuki just forgot to laugh. How could someone with such a creepy smile, and an evil aura be called nice? Yuki knew who was nice and who wasn't. He slowly looked at Shuichi, searching for signs of nervousness. Shuichi could never lie with a straight

face. Finally, he found the twiddling thumbs. He was assured that Shuichi was lying, but he wasn't going to say anything yet.

* * *

"_Ritsuka! Ritsuka! RITSUKA!" Shuichi hollered. Someone put their hand over his mouth. Shuichi struggled angrily and fearfully. He yelled through the hand and kicked and screamed, until tears formed in his eyes. He let go and collapsed to the ground, and he cried. "Ri..Ritsuka…" _

"_Shut up" his dad ordered. Sobs erupted from Shuichi's mouth. "It was your fault, after all. You told him, and I couldn't let him go around telling everybody. You should've kept your mouth shut. It hurts other people when you talk, you know." And everything turned into a mix of black and red… _

_

* * *

_

"Oh, I didn't think he was nice at all" Yuki said casually. "He was creepy. I don't like him at all." He paused and watched Shuichi cringe, obviously in pain. He slapped himself mentally. "Do you need those pills they prescribed for you?" Shuichi nodded slowly. "Oh, okay. I'll go get them." He stood up and fetched a bottle of water and one pill. He handed both to Shuichi. "Don't chew it." Shuichi nodded and quickly swallowed the pill. He sighed happily. He felt better already.

"Hey Yuki" Shuichi said. Yuki looked at Shuichi as a response. "I was wondering… Have you ever been scared of someone? I mean, you seem so tough. I've never seen you afraid of someone. I'm afraid of a whole bunch of people, like Tohma, K, this guy named Steve who tried to steal my pants, that crazy fan-girl named Maki who is always drunk and screaming, that evil duck at the drug store, and that hobo down the road. The hobo is so creepy… He has read eyes and he keeps asking me if I have any weed. I tell him that they're all over the ground, and he growls at me. He's creepy… Anyways, are you afraid, or have you been afraid, of anyone?"

"No, not that I remember" Yuki replied flatly. "You're afraid of a lot of people. There's Tohma. I can understand that. And K; I can understand that. Maki, you should avoid. I don't need you coming home covered in beer… And you mean that squeaky toy duck?" Shuichi nodded. "And that hobo was asking for drugs, idiot, not the weeds on the ground." Shuichi's mouth formed an O. "And Steve… Wait, he tried to steal your pants?" Shuichi nodded. "Wow, the fans have really gone crazy. None of my fans attempted to steal my pants…yet." Shuichi nodded knowingly. "But no, I'm not afraid of anyone. Mostly, people are afraid of me."

"Oh, okay…" Shuichi said. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Hey, can I call Hiro? Maybe we can go somewhere." Yuki shook his head. Shuichi began to pout. "Why not? Do you hate Hiro that much? Last time I checked, I was living in a free country!" Yuki rolled his eyes.

"Well, you wouldn't have asked if you knew you could do it without permission" Yuki explained. "And, it is my phone, after all. And, I don't want you to leave because that Hiro dude will kill me if he finds out that you collapsed right outside my door, and I didn't notice until half an hour later. He will, because he'll notice how you look, and you'll have to take you medicine in front of him, because someone always has to watch you. Personally, I don't need his complaints at the moment, especially after the little incident at the hospital." Shuichi's face fell.

Suddenly, the phone began to ring. Yuki groaned and tried to ignore the rings. But they didn't stop. Someone was calling him continuously, and they weren't giving up. He sighed and stood up. He looked angry and wanted to smash the phone into little pieces. He stomped his foot and growled.

"Who'd call someone a zillion times when they know no one is gonna answer?" Yuki demanded no one in particular. "Ugh, some people are so idiotic!" Shuichi nodded, not entirely agreeing with Yuki, but wanting to calm the novelist down. The phone rang once again, and Yuki finally snapped. "FINE! I'LL ANSWER YOU, STUPID PHONE! WHOEVER'S ON THE LINE BETTER HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SAY!" Yuki picked up the phone. Shuichi sighed in relief. He just hoped Yuki wouldn't start swearing on the phone again. He could be really loud, and Shuichi still had a headache. But it was amusing to watch Yuki have conversations with inanimate objects. He could tease Yuki about this later.

"What the heck do you want?" Yuki demanded. "I answered, okay? Man, give me a break! When I don't want to answer the phone, I don't answer it! That's why we have a voice machine! DO NOT call me like this EVER AGAIN, whoever you are." The voice on the other end seemed to breathe heavily. 'Great, a creepystalker' Yuki thought, definitely not amused.

"It's Mika, from a pay phone" the voice answered. Yuki slammed his fist against the wall, much to Shuichi's dismay. Shuichi's headache worsened. He now understood how Yuki felt when he complained he had a headache. They really did hurt, especially when people were screaming. "Look, this is really important! I had to call you! See… Tatsuha got hit by a car on the way home from a Ryuichi concert and…" That was all Yuki needed to hear.

"You're joking" Yuki said. The breaths of the person on the other line discouraged his hopes. "No, darn it!" He sighed and took a deep breath. "What hospital is he at, Mika?" he demanded coldly.

"He's at Tokyo Medical Hospital, of course!" Mika replied. "The concert was in Tokyo. He never even made it to the train…" Her voice wavered and she started to cry. "Please Eiri, come to the hospital. Tat needs you!"

Yuki was devastated. He always told Tatsuha that he hated him, but he really didn't. He loved Tatsuha only partly because they were brothers, but also because Tatsuha could lift anyone's spirits. Throughout his life, Tatsuha would always come with free comic relief, so to speak. He could make Yuki smile on the inside, and he never treated Yuki differently, even though he looked American. Tat didn't "see" his brother that way. He just saw Yuki as a person, a brother who required his compassion, as did everyone else. He was such a happy-go-lucky guy, even if he was a pervert. He was special in his own way, and now he might be dead, or dying. Yuki couldn't think straight. Yuki hung up the phone without a word and looked at Shuichi. He frowned. He couldn't leave Shuichi alone…

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Shuichi got up to answer it, so as not to bother Yuki. He didn't want to hear Yuki scream anymore, since Yuki seemed frustrated enough. When he opened the door, Hiro was there, waving and smiling happily.

"What's up, Shuichi?" he asked. Shuichi smiled and let Hiro in. He looked nervously at Yuki, who merely nodded. Yuki sighed and walked over to the closet while Hiro and Shuichi had a nice conversation, with a few insults from Hiro to Yuki, which Shuichi scolded Hiro for.

"Hey Hiro, can you do me a favor?" Yuki asked softly. He covered his face with his hands. He took a deep breath. Hiro just blinked skeptically. Shuichi gasped, because Yuki never asked people for favors, especially Hiro. "Well?"

"Uh, what is it you want me to do?" Hiro asked, not wanting to be mean to Yuki in front of Shuichi again. "I'll tell you if I can do it after you tell me." Yuki groaned and sighed.

"I just got a call from Mika" he explained. "She said that Tatsuha got hit by a car…" He paused and waited for Hiro and Shuichi's reaction. They both didn't say anything, absorbing what Yuki just said. "She asked me to come, and I can't leave Shuichi alone. He…got sick earlier today, and he could fall or something stupid like that. I need someone to watch him, and give him his medicine. Can you do that?" Yuki couldn't believe what he was asking his enemy. He never asked people for anything, unless he REALLY needed it, and this was one of those times.

"Oh god…" Hiro whispered. 'His brother?' he thought. 'That must be hard…' "He got hit by a car?" Yuki nodded slowly and grabbed his coat slowly, looking at Hiro. "Oh…wow… That guy who looks exactly like you and is obsessed with Ryuichi?" Yuki nodded again. He put his coat on quickly. "Him, that happy-go-lucky guy? He's Shuichi's friend, right?" Yuki nodded for the umpteenth time. "Oh, I'll watch Shuichi, sure. Go ahead." Hiro had never felt sympathetic towards Yuki, until now. He even forgot to question Yuki about how Shuichi got sick. It wasn't on the top of his list of priorities.

Yuki nodded, his way of saying thanks. He opened his door and rushed out it without saying anything, grabbing his hat as he ran. He jumped into his car while Hiro and Shuichi watched painfully. They didn't know what to say, or how to say it.

Shuichi was horrified. Sure, Tatsuha molested him a few times, but he was still a nice guy overall. Shuichi knew Tatsuha would risk his life for others, and would help a puppy with a splinter in its paw. And Tatsuha was hit by a car? It was unbelievable. People like Tatsuha, who were so free-spirited and wild, weren't the type of people you expected to get hurt. They always seemed invincible, untouchable. They were people you secretly admired from time to time for their liveliness.

Shuichi collapsed to the ground, unable to register last minutes' events. It was impossible, he told himself. But he started to cry because he knew he was fooling himself. He hoped for Tatsuha to make it out alive, and for Yuki to be okay as well, since he seemed to be taking it hard, like Shuichi was. He ignored Hiro's comforting words and continued to cry. Nothing could go right this week, nothing… He coughed badly as everything around him faded out of focus, but he stayed awake, so he could be conscious when Yuki came back, if he came back today.

"Tatsuha…" Shuichi whispered. Everything was spinning, but he convinced himself to stay awake, stay awake for everyone around him. And he would, because Shuichi Shindou never gives up.

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A/N: MUWAHAHAHA! I did a major twist, didn't I? Well, you won't find out what happens unless you REVIEW! (meaning no reviews, no update...)What will happen to Tatsuha? And Shuichi and Yuki? OrHiro?And what about Anoiji? You'll see... I have it all planned out... -smirks evilly- 

And, if you don't already know, crying isn't good for you when you're sick. It makes you hack like a maniac... I would know... (strep throat+cryingbad...)Oh, and I'd like to thank Julin X for her review for 'Just a Shadow'. She's so awesome! READ HER STORIES, ESPECIALLY 'LUNAR REFLECTION' and'KAKUMEI'!Once again, please read and review 'Just a Shadow'.

THANKS FOR READING! IF YOU REVIEW, I'LL BE VERY HAPPY AND -wink, wink- UPDATE QUICKER SOMEHOW!


	11. Chapter 10

WOOT! I think I've greatly improved my writing since the first chapter! I mean, reread the first one. It's so short, undetailed and blah... But then you read this, and you (hopefull) go, "Wow!" YES! I'm getting better! Even the people at gurabite aren't telling me I suck! WOOT! I feel SO happy! I'm gonna redo ALL my chapters now! They aren't satisfying me at all... Yes, that will take awhile... -sighs- AND I've chosen to continue 'Just a Shadow' thanks to Suanne. So, if you wanted me to update that badly, thank her! And Julin X was good help as well! I appreciated her review! -is flattered-

Please continue to review. I realized that in some of the chapter, I demanded review. I apologize. The reason I did that was because I wanted to see if anyone was interested. I could get 1000 hits, but if no one liked it, it would be worthless. So, that's why I ask, because I have to know if anyone enjoys it. If they don't, I would just continue it on Word and never post anything. I need to know. That's why I ask. So, if I offended you earlier, please forgive me. I won't do that EVER again. I promise.

Once again, I have ANOTHER twist! MUWAHAHA! Read and you'll find out! I'll thank you forever if you review as well! And the title will definitely confuse you. It'll make sense in the next chapter.

And thank-you Suanne! (sp?) Your reviews on 'LDAUP' and 'Just a Shadow' are greatly appreciated! -hugs you- Do you have an email address or account? Maybe you could help me on the next chapter of 'JAS'? It's okay if you don't want to though! And I hope you're reading this as well! You're a good constructive criticizer, so I enjoy your comments. They aren't all, "You rock!" even though I enjoy those reviews, and they aren't like, "Your story sucks" either. It really improves my writing! This just goes to show that CC DOES improve writing, and flames DO NOT. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation.

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Chapter 10: Dirty Tricks for a Witness 

It was dark and gloomy at Yuki's apartment. The light simply refused to shine on it, leaving the apartment dark and cold like ice. No one in the room could smile or laugh. They could only stand there, waiting for something. What, they didn't know yet, though they hoped it would be good. Hiro began to pace back and forth, keeping close eye on Shuichi, who had given up the ability to talk and merely sat on the ground. His coughing fit had ended a few minutes ago, after help from a concerned Hiro.

Thousands of thoughts rushed through Hiro's head. He couldn't ponder about anything else besides Tatsuha at the moment. He barely knew the boy, who was still a teenager, but telling from Shuichi's shocked face, Hiro knew this boy was a good person. And Yuki's face surprised him the most. Yuki NEVER asked for help. Shuichi had told Hiro that several times, saying that Yuki was so independent, unless the help was from Tohma. Yuki rarely asked for anything, but if he did, he got it. Tohma could almost buy the world for Yuki if he wanted to, and Hiro doubted Tohma would decline if Yuki asked such of him. So, what he was thinking was that it was a big deal if Yuki asked for help. This brought up another group of questions, ones he failed to ask earlier due to shock.

How did Shuichi get sick? Why did he get sick? And was it a serious illness? Was Shuichi dying, but not telling his best friend? Impossible, Hiro decided. It was probably just a normal illness, one that just needed daily treatment of some sort. Obviously, this daily treatment included medication and never leaving the patient alone, who happened to be Shuichi. 'That means that he probably gets dizzy or lightheaded from his sickness' Hiro thought. 'That's why Yuki was watching him. That's a surprise. I would think that Yuki would've dropped Shuichi off at my house once he found out the conditions. I guess that jerk DOES have a heart somewhere in there…' He let out a sigh, which caused Shuichi to shiver.

"Hiro…?" Shuichi asked gently. Hiro looked at Shuichi, giving him to cue to go on. Shuichi wiped his tear-stained eyes and continued. "Do you think Tatsuha will be okay? And what about Yuki? He seemed extremely upset! I'm worried, Hiro…" His face was one of a broken angel. No, not a fallen angel, a broken one. And that was a devastating sight.

Hiro would've broken out in tears right there. He hated to see Shuichi hurt. That was why he told himself he would kill Yuki and/or Taki after he heard about what Taki did to Shuichi. Hiro had been furious towards everyone except Shuichi, whom he spoke to gently and soothingly at the time. And the worst part was that Shuichi hadn't cared about himself after the attack. He was only worried about Yuki, because he was such a selfless person. And now, he wasn't worried about himself because he was sick. He was once again worried about others, Yuki and Tatsuha. It was so stunning to see a person like that, because they were rare. Hiro happened to be lucky enough to be friends with someone like this. And Shuichi thought HE was lucky…

"Don't worry Shu…" Hiro assured his desperate friend. "I'm sure Tatsuha will be fine. From what I know about him, he seems like a tough guy. He won't die without a fight. After all, he has to live for his idol, Ryuichi Sakuma, right?" Shuichi nodded slowly. Both of them thought, 'I bet Ryuichi will rush over when he hears the news, since Tatsuha got hit by a car on his way back from his concert.' They each knew how Ryuichi was, and were both positive this would occur. "And Yuki will be fine as well. He's even tougher than Tatsuha. He always pulls through, doesn't he?" Shuichi nodded once again, but Hiro knew he was only nodding to please Hiro. "Look Shu, I'm worried as well. Both of us should be, but we can't change what happens. We're not the doctors, you know. They decided Tatsuha's fate, which I believe will be a good one." Hiro paused and thought for a moment. "The worst that could've happen with the doctors is that Yuki tried to strangle one of them because he's worried or upset. And I bet he'd do that if they were slow, too." He let out a dry laugh. Shuichi smiled weakly.

"Yeah, I guess…" he said. "But still, I hardly ever see Yuki so upset. I hate when he's sad, because then I get sad, too." He pouted slightly. "It has to be REALLY bad for Yuki to show his feelings like that. He looked like he was about to cry, Hiro. That worried me even more. I mean, what if Tatsuha doesn't pull through? What will Yuki do? What will I do? Tatsuha is such a great guy, Hiro, even though he…" Shuichi paused and took a deep breath. "I wish you could've seen him more often." Hiro sweat dropped. He remembered one of the times he met Tatsuha and made that deal with him for Ryuichi's phone number. (1) That guy was seriously obsessed with him. And then Tatsuha randomly complimented Shuichi, which was creepy… But Tatsuha did give off his aura of happiness and spring. Hiro cleared his head quickly.

"I wish so, too" Hiro said. "Even Yuki has to show his feelings in a situation like this. And I'm pretty sure Tatsuha will pull through. I personally don't believe his time is up. He's Buddhist, right?" Shuichi nodded. "Well, let Buddha be with him then. I'm sure that he'll be alright." Hiro sighed again and looked at the clock. It had been fifteen minutes since Yuki left, fifteen minutes. To Hiro, it seemed like days. Every moment of silence lasted a long and painful hour and every second just added to his torment. He wanted to know what was going on. He knew Shuichi did as well. "Let's go into the guest room. I might have to stay the night, so you can show me where everything is." Shuichi agreed and led Hiro to the guest bedroom.

CLICK. Hiro and Shuichi entered the guest room. It was quite small, but it was large enough for one person. Hiro looked at the walls. They were plain as day, white. It seemed like Yuki put no effort into decorating this room for guests. That gave off the vibe that Yuki didn't like guests in general, and wanted them to stay away. He ignored the vibes and continued to look through the room. It had one nightstand next to the bed and a peach-colored rug. There was a small TV on an empty drawer that had no cable and no remote. It was dusty, giving evidence to conclude that no one had watched it in awhile. Other than that, the room was surprisingly bare.

"Well, as you can see, there isn't much for me to show you" Shuichi said with a dry laugh. "The TV doesn't have a remote. Yuki threw it out the window the day he bought it for some reason… Anyways, the bed is right there, and the nightstand is over there, and… Okay, this is stupid. You can figure the rest out yourself." He gave a quick glance to Hiro, who merely nodded.

"Wait, do you need any clothes?" Shuichi asked hastily. "You didn't bring pajamas, did you?" Hiro shook his head. Shuichi mentally slammed himself for even asking. Who brought pajamas with them to visit a friend whose boyfriend wouldn't let you stay over even if you happened to ask? "Okay, I'll go get you some; hold on." Shuichi began to leave the room. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him and he almost fell over. Luckily, Hiro noticed this immediately and rushed over. He saved his friend the fall. Shuichi rubbed his head and blushed. "Sorry, I just got a bit dizzy." Hiro began to look concerned. He loosened his grip on Shuichi.

"Yuki did mention that you were sick" Hiro said smoothly. "I assume my suspicions were correct that you get dizzy and lightheaded, right?" Shuichi nodded. "So that's why Yuki needed me to watch you, eh?" Shuichi agreed. "Any other symptoms I should know about?" Hiro knew quite a lot about medicine since he almost became a doctor. But Shuichi let him live his dream, thankfully.

"Well, I get headaches" Shuichi replied meekly. He stood up straight and brushed himself off, rubbing his temple. "But that's about it. It's nothing serious, really, so don't freak out on me." Hiro laughed lightly, trying to brighten the mood.

"I guess I won't be playing Metallica on your radio tonight?" Hiro joked. Shuichi rolled his eyes. "Just kidding. Anyways, do you want me to stop talking now?" Shuichi nodded gratefully. "Okay. I'll just wear some of your clothes. You can sit on the couch." Shuichi obeyed silently and closed his eyes while Hiro searched through the bedroom drawers. After thirty minutes, he found a nice pair of pajamas. They were Yuki's silk ones. Hiro regretted choosing Yuki's clothes, but nothing of Shuichi's fit him. This was frustrating, since he tried for twenty-five minutes to find something of Shuichi's that fit him. Hiro hoped Yuki wouldn't mind. He doubted the novelist would be worrying about that at this time.

When Hiro returned, he found Shuichi sitting on the couch. Shuichi looked like his headache was pretty bad. He was rubbing his head and groaning softly. Hiro sighed and walked over to the couch. He lightly tapped Shuichi's shoulder and waited for a response. Shuichi reacted instantly with a shiver-like motion. He turned to see Hiro's frowning face in front of him.

"Do you need your medication?" Hiro asked calmly. His voice was dripping with kindness and worry. Shuichi sighed wearily and shook his head sadly. "Why? You seem like your head hurts." Shuichi looked slightly frustrated. He looked away into the distance for a moment before replying.

"It does" Shuichi explained. "But I just had a pill less than an hour ago. I don't think I should take another one for awhile." Hiro gave Shuichi a sympathetic frown. "Don't worry. It's probably because I'm worried. I'll just focus on something else…" Shuichi's head bobbed. He shook himself and opened his eyes more, determined to seem awake.

"Do you want to go to sleep then?" Hiro asked. Shuichi shook his head rapidly. "Don't worry. You won't miss a thing, I promise. I'll wake you up if anything happens, okay?" Shuichi thought for a moment while Hiro waited patiently. He seemed to be deep in though, with a pounding headache… Finally, Shuichi let out a defeated sigh. His exhaustion won the battle, and he nodded slowly before closing his eyes. Hiro smiled softly before sitting down next to Shuichi on the couch, waiting. Hiro was personally hoping for good news, but you never knew what could happen…

* * *

Meanwhile, Yuki sped down the street, ignoring every traffic law known to man. He didn't watch out for old ladies, or even little children. Only one thing mattered as he hit the accelerator; his brother, Tatsuha. Tatsuha was dying; Yuki's little brother was dying… It was too much for Yuki to bear. He couldn't help but let out a few tears as he turned the corner. No one would ever know, he decided firmly. 

Yuki was one to hide his emotions constantly. He rarely let out any evidence to prove that he had a heart inside. He hated showing others how he felt. If he did show emotion in front of his family and few friends, he felt that they would be able to understand him, pity him, and take advantage of him somehow. He didn't like this feeling, which he considered vulnerability.

Vulnerability was used to describe people who were easy to injure or maim, whether it be physically or emotionally. It was a helpless feeling, one that Yuki despised. Because of his hatred of this feeling, he either avoided it entirely or kept it well hidden. His fear of this caused him to try to control anything he had to associate with, and avoid anything else that could threaten his status and wasn't mandatory.

Yuki felt so vulnerable the day Kitazawa had hurt him. When Kitazawa's eyes gleamed as he looked at Yuki, then known as Eiri by all, Yuki felt horrible. Kitazawa could've killed him, could've ripped his arm off or sent him into a coma. And Yuki let it happen. He let himself be hurt because he let himself out in the open, without demanding tyranny of anything. He let himself be controlled, because of his position and feelings for that man. He let himself become vulnerable, and he paid for it. After that horrible night, he promised himself that he'd never feel that way again. Apparently, the promise was beginning to break. And Yuki wondered if he was going to pay this time as well.

And Tatsuha was to blame for Yuki's feelings, or so Yuki thought. Tatsuha was the one who got hit by a car. 'The idiot probably forgot to look both ways' Yuki thought bitterly. 'He was probably saying, "Look at me, everyone! I'm an idiot! Watch me get hit by a car!"' Yuki scowled. His brother was so stupid sometimes, especially when it came to Ryuichi Sakuma.

After Yuki thought about it for a moment, he decided to blame Sakuma, that stupid singer who caught Tatsuha's heart. He started to work out his reasoning in his head: If Sakuma hadn't held a concert this day, Tatsuha would've been alive and well. He would've been rushing home, laughing at all the bald monks in secrecy. No, it wasn't Sakuma's fault. He wasn't the one who drove the car that hit Tatsuha. It was probably a drunk driver or something, maybe a lady on crack. And the person, whether male of female, was stupid enough to drive in their condition and risk the lives of the innocent… Or maybe the person wasn't high or drunk. Maybe he/she was just a bad driver. Yes, the driver was to blame for Yuki's feelings. It was the driver's fault, Yuki concluded.

Yuki wiped his eyes quickly before concentrating on the road again. As he turned yet another corner, he realized that he was blaming others for his feelings of fear and sadness, and ultimately, vulnerability. It was his own fault for his feelings, he realized. He was the one who felt this way, and no one else could make him feel anything, without his consent. Yuki growled angrily. He wished he could continue to blame others, but that would be stupid, and Eiri "Yuki" Uesugi was NOT stupid. Maybe Tatsuha, Shuichi and Ryuichi were, but not Yuki.

Suddenly, Yuki examined his surroundings. He swore loudly as he looked around him. He was in heavy traffic. He continued to swear until he was out of breath. He was so frustrated! He HAD to get to the hospital, ASAP! His brother was possibly dying, and here he was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic! Yuki growled and gave up his petty attempts to make the traffic disappear. It just wasn't happening by swearing at everyone and everything, thought it did relieve some stress. Yuki gazed over at a parking spot on the side of the lane. He waited until the traffic moved close enough and hastily parked in the empty spot that was in the middle of the street. Luckily, it had no signs near it indicating that he couldn't park his car in this specific place, and there wasn't a fire hydrant nearby. So, his pride and joy wouldn't get towed today, thank Buddha.

Once Yuki had successfully parked his Mercedes, he stepped out of his "baby" and on to the sidewalk. After putting on his sunglasses for fan-girl protection, he looked around quickly, determining where he had to go. If he kept walking straight for about five minutes, he'd get to the hospital. He smirked and started to power-walk down the street. He passed joggers, old ladies threatening him with canes and little kids who kept sticking their tongues out at him. He had walked for four minutes. He could almost see the hospital's sign.

In the distance, there was an alley. It was darkened, so Yuki couldn't see inside of it. He almost walked right past it, but then he heard something. It was a bit of shuffling. Thinking it was a gang, Yuki took another step forward to avoid a confrontation. But then he realized that there were only two people in the alley, their backs facing him. He blinked and wondered why he was so interested in these two people. Then he realized why.

One was wearing a pink-bunny suit, and had dark hair. (Yuki couldn't see because it was dark!) He seemed to be laughing with the other person, who had very dark hair and was wearing a jacket with pants and a shirt. Yuki glanced at them again, this time more casually. He made out what they were saying.

"Thanks for the lift!" the very dark-haired man said happily. "My sis would've killed me if she found out I missed the train!" He paused, trying to think of means of repayment. He smirked devilishly. "I owe you a zillion dates, okay?" The man seemed to be excited, and he wrapped his arms around the bunny-man. The bunny-man hugged the very dark-haired man and giggled.

"No problem!" he said. "It was my fault anyway. You missed the train because my concert ran late. But now your sister knows where you are, because she just called. Hey, at least we can spend some time together until the helicopter comes!"

"You're right!" the very dark-haired man agreed instantly. He seemed to have hearts in his eyes, and he gave the bunny-man a peck on the cheek. The bunny-man didn't seem to mind and he jumped up and down like a real bunny.

Yuki froze. Why did those two seem so familiar? It was at the tip of his tongue. He just couldn't grasp it. He growled with frustration. He told himself to just walk away, but he had a feeling he should stay. And he was right. The two men turned around, and Yuki looked horrorstricken.

"Oh, hi bro!" the dark-haired man called. The other one, which Yuki now determined to have green hair, waved. "What're you doing here?"

"Hi Yuki, na no da!" Ryuichi called. Yes, it was Ryuichi Sakuma, that vocalist for Nittle Grasper. And standing next to him was… Tatsuha? Wasn't he the one who was in a hospital because he got hit by a car? Yuki froze. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes.

"Tatsuha?" he breathed. Tatsuha nodded and walked over to his brother. "It's really you?" Tatsuha nodded. "But I thought you got into a car crash! Mika just called me to let me know which hospital you were in! What the heck are you doing here?"

"What're you talking about, bro?" Tatsuha questioned. "I missed the train to Kyoto because the concert ran later. And Mika just called me. She didn't leave the impression that she thought I was dying from a car impact or anything. She couldn't have told you anything like that…"

"What…?" Yuki thought aloud. "No… Wait… If it wasn't Mika who called, who did?" He paused and frowned. "And why?" Suddenly, he realized what was going on. He started swearing angrily. Tatsuha was fine, but now he had another problem to deal with. "Dammit!" Tatsuha and Ryuichi look at Yuki, utterly confused. As Yuki ran off in the other direction, they followed curiously.

"Wait, bro!" Tatsuha called. "Where are you going? What's going on?" Ryuichi grabbed on to Tatsuha's shirt as they ran. He seemed scared. "Bro, answer me!" Yuki just kept running. Tatsuha began to get worried. 'What's going on?' he thought. 'What's wrong with bro now?' Determined to find out, he decided to tell Ryuichi the plan. "We're following him, Ryu. I think something's wrong… We have to find out what." Ryuichi nodded hesitantly before picking up the pace.

"Shuichi…" Yuki thought angrily. "How could I be so stupid?" He continued to run until he came to his Mercedes. He noted that Ryuichi and Tatsuha were following him. Not willing to fight them, he simply left one of the doors open. Both of them hopped inside the car as Yuki cut through two lanes to go back to his apartment. Ryuichi and Tatsuha buckled up. Luckily, there was no traffic in the opposite direction.

Yuki had to get back to his home, fast, or he couldn't imagine the possibilities. Meanwhile, Tatsuha and Ryuichi sat in silence. They didn't know what to say to the paranoid novelist and didn't even attempt to talk to him. The only thing they knew was that something was wrong, and that Yuki wasn't happy about it.

* * *

A/N: Confused? Well, everything will make sense in the next chapter... MUWAHAHA! At least I didn't kill Tatsuha... You'd better thank me for that! Oh, and I wonder what you guys think Yuki realized... Is it obvious? Hmm... Oh, and I'd like to mention that 'Lunar Reflection' by Julin X is finished. It was amazing! And Julin X graced us with yet another wonderful Gravitation fic, 'Angel's Heart'! Please read it! -puppy eyes- It'll be worth your time! 

Please review! Thank you for reading and even possibly reviewing! I LOVE YOU ALL! THANKS FOR MAKING ME FEEL SO HAPPY! -dances- It makes up for me being a bit sick again... Grr... I think I've caught something that's slowly getting worse, then better, then even worse... Anyways, thanks again! I hope I did a good job on this chapter!


	12. Chapter 11

YAY! I finally updated! -cheers- WOOT! Yeah, sorry that it took so long! Please forgive me! I spent last weekend working on, "Just a Guilty Obsession", (whichburned me out for a few days, btw!)and that's usually when I start my chapters, and finish them.(I only have one hour of typing on the computer on weekdays!) My chapters are getting longer, so I can't finish them with the time I have during the week. I must now rely on the weekends! I don't know if I should be happy or annoyed...

BTW: "Just a Guilty Obsession", is something I worked VERY hard on! It's over 5000 words! -beams- So, please read and review it! If you do, you get a BIG SURPRISE! (I'm not joking! You'll like the surprise!) It's my favorite piece I've written, and it's in Yuki's POV.

Also, this chapter (without Author Notes) is 3600 words! NEW RECORD FOR CHAPTER! -celebrates- And, this chapter is sort of slow-paced, but I promise that the next chapter will be much more intense and edge-of-your-seat stuff. Remember to PLZ read and review! YAY!

_Italics: Flashbacks_

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. If I did... I'd make sure that Yuki was okay in the next track of Genzo! (66, I believe...)

* * *

Chapter 11: Run 

It was cold in the room. Yuki must've forgotten to put the heat up or something. Or maybe he didn't, and it was just the chill the two men were experiencing. None the less, no one made an effort to put the heat up. Hiro was busy reading a funny manga that Shuichi had in one of the drawers. Yes, Hiro become very tense over the last five minutes. He didn't know what to do, with Shuichi sound asleep on the couch. He didn't want to wake the boy to relieve himself of all his fears.

Hiro, for once, wanted to talk to Shuichi about HIS problems, since he always did that for Shuichi. But he realized that he wasn't facing the same problem as Shuichi was when he confided in Hiro about Yuki. Hiro never had to urge to break out in tears while helping Shuichi. Occasionally, he wanted to rip the novelist's heart out after hearing Shuichi, but he was never sad as well. It would be unfair to try to calm himself by waking Shuichi up because Shuichi would get upset as well, and Shuichi definitely needed to sleep. The boy looked exhausted and very ill, but eerily silent. Hiro would never forgive himself if he woke his best friend, and he had no desire to.

So, he continued to read the manga. It was filled with jokes, which Hiro hoped would cheer him up. They only succeeded in making him cry more, for some reason. He sighed and closed the manga he was reading with a heavy heart. He let out another sigh as he placed it on the floor beside him. He didn't know what else to do. If he turned on the TV, it would wake Shuichi. Even if he muted it and read the bottom, he doubted anything would make him feel better. Every genre made him think of Tatsuha, and that didn't help him at all.

So,Hiro merely stood up and walked into the kitchen. Maybe some delicious food would make him happier. He gave it a shot and it failed. All the food only reminded him of funerals; when his grandma died, a relative whom he was very close to, everyone sent him so much food. He had eaten every single bite with tears in his eyes. He had tried to forget himself and stuff his face. His plan had failed that time as well. His only achievement was gaining five pounds, which he immediately lost the next day by running some miles with Shuichi. So, food only worsened Hiro's condition. He closed the cabinet he was looking in and walked away angrily. He yelled at himself mentally.

When he returned to the couch, Hiro decided to sit next to Shuichi to calm himself down. Nothing else he could think of was working. He quietly and softly sat down on the side of the couch Shuichi wasn't on. Hiro's eyes were deep, like an ocean that no one had measured the depth of yet, because it was simply too far to swim. It was a seafloor of secrets, emotions and thoughts; No one could see to the bottom torealize exactly what he was thinking. No one could understand how he felt, be empathetic, because no one could see him anymore, see his feelings. It was the opposite of Shuichi's eyes, well, most of the time. Shuichi's eyes told people everything. They could tell if he was excited, depressed, worried, content or scared. He was easy to read, most of the time, especially for Hiro, who had known Shuichi for such a long time. Hiro was a pro.

It was amazing how the world could give you everything you desired, fame, fortune, friends, a lover, and then have one thing disappear and let your little castle collapse. It was cruel, evil, and despicable. Hiro cursed whoever was causing all this misery for Shuichi, for Yuki, for Tatsuha, for Mika, for himself. Whoever it was, Hiro demanded some answers.

Hiro scowled at the ceiling, examining it. It was one of those ceilings that you could lose yourself in. It had bumps and lumps that made tiny pictures. One moment, you could see a dog, but if you looked away, you would probably never see that same picture again. Hiro continued to examine the ceiling and let himself go. He couldn't understand why these things happened to him.

Well, some things didn't directly happen to him, but whatever happened to those around him, practically happened to him. He was a very friendly, easily attachable kind of guy. That's why he could handle Shuichi; sometimes the pink-haired singer was difficult to handle with his constant whining and complaining, and his tardiness. Hiro could handle that, but this was another story. He was probably going to lose someone he barely knew, but at the same time, knew so well. It was strange. He told himself that he should just forget it and comfort Shuichi, but he couldn't do that. He was incapable of performing such a task, even with his upbeat attitude.

Hiro remembered the times when he simply broke, even if it only took him a minute to put himself back together sometimes. He remembered when Shuichi came to his apartment, covered in bruises and emotional scars that would never leave him. His best friend had been raped, and Hiro was devastated. When he heard Shuichi call, he was thinking that Shuichi expected to be pampered, wanting Hiro to carry him inside. Then, Hiro had thought for a moment, and realized that Shuichi didn't sound good. When Shuichi informed him that he couldn't move anymore, Hiro had rushed outside quicker than you could say, "Shu!" He had been so angry and afraid. He didn't put himself back together for awhile, and he experienced a 'second-hand rape' so to speak. It hurtalmost as much, but he had put himself back together over the night, and rape victims couldn't, especially Shuichi. The other instances Hiro couldn't seem to remember, because his head was beginning to spin. He rubbed his temple before leaning back, prepared to relax.

Who was Tatsuha to him anyhow? Was he a friend? Family? Just a person in need of compassion? Hiro didn't know. He looked at Shuichi sadly before closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them a few minutes later, done thinking for the time being. Shuichi's breaths were slow but steady, which comforted Hiro a bit. He shivered. Once again, he noticed the chill in the air. Or was it just him? Or was it something even more sinister? And what about Yuki? What if Tatsuha died? If Tatsuha died, what would Yuki do? Would he become a different person, or what? Hiro shivered again. He brushed off the feeling of uneasiness and made himself comfortable.

Hiro watched Shuichi sleep, and he let a smile escape him. Shuichi was so wonderful, even though he could be annoying. He never gave up, and was always faithful. His love knew no bounds, and his hatred never existed in the first place, unless someone murdered Hiro or someone else close to Shuichi. Then, the vocalist would probably feel hatred. But Hiro wasn't planning on getting murdered any time soon, so he dropped the thought.

The clock ticked noisily. Hiro ignored it, as he embraced the chill. It gave him the feeling that maybe he wasn't the only one awake. Maybe someone was watching over him, like an angel perhaps. **His guess was far from reality.** The clock just reminded him that each minute would cost another minute of despair in waiting. Suddenly, Hiro realized something. The clock had never ticked like that before. This tick was louder and longer, while the old clock had short and soft ticks. Was it a new clock? Hiro looked at the clock. Yup, it was different. 'Why would they get a new clock?' he thought dryly. Hiro's brow rose, but he tried to ignore his gut-feeling that something was odd. Just to be sure, Hiro looked around him. He saw nothing.

Hiro sighed. He had never felt so restless in his life. He couldn't take it anymore! It was driving him crazy! Ever time he tried to stay still, his body urged him to move around, to do something to take away the silence and invisible darkness. It was nagging him; Hiro really needed something to do besides watch Shuichi and stir in his spot, and worry about his friends. It wasn't helping him at all. He wished that he could just disappear for awhile.

Hiro noticed a book on the floor behind the couch. He blinked and frowned. What was a book doing on the floor? 'Maybe I should put it away' Hiro mused. It would be something to do, and he didn't like the thought of leaving the book there anyhow. It was unnerving. He sighed and gave in. He stood up quietly and slowly, as to not move the couch and wake Shuichi. He walked over to the book and leaned down to pick it up. That was when he felt a twinge of pain, and darkness fell onto him, enslaving him. It was so sudden and unexpected; Hiro didn't have a chance to even breathe before the impact. The eerie silence followed afterwards and did not help the situation. Shuichi merely continued to sleep, because he knew nothing of what was occurring.

But suddenly, minutes later,there was a loud noise coming from behind the couch. Shuichi sat up abruptly and looked around wearily. He was still very tired, but he was afraid. Shuichi noticed something: Hiro was nowhere in sight. This worried him greatly. He looked around a few more times, his vision improving with each attempt, but Hiro was still not there.

"Hiro?" Shuichi called loudly. The only response he got was an echo. "HIRO!" Still, only silence greeted him back. Shuichi's eyes widened as he heard a CREAK come from behind him. "H-Hiro? Is that you?" Shuichi had a feeling that Hiro wouldn't be greeting him. He shuddered.

Suddenly, a black-haired man jumped up and grabbed Shuichi. Shuichi tried to shout, but the man covered his mouth. Shuichi kicked and punched, but the efforts were pointless, because the man still pinned Shuichi to the wall. The man was Anoiji, and his red eyes gleamed mercilessly. He had a hateful, evil smile that sent shivers down Shuichi's spine. Shuichi felt helpless. He was so confused and afraid.

"Ah, Shuichi!"Anoiji cried. "How are you?" Shuichi glared angrily at his father. "It took me quite some time and a lot of effort to get you alone, but I must say it's worth it." He paused and smirked evilly as Shuichi continued to struggle. Anoiji punched Shuichi in the stomach and watched Shuichi's struggles simmer down. He pointed to the phone, and Hiro, who was unconscious and tied up against a chair in the kitchen. Shuichi's struggles grew more violent with rage and disgust. Anoiji kicked Shuichi hard in the leg. Shuichi winced."I planned everything out. And now you'll have to listen to me, or I'll kill your little friend, and your lover." Shuichi's eyes widened in horror. "But first, I want to make you suffer a bit for causing me so much trouble." (1) Shuichi gulped.

Meanwhile, Yuki continued to drive down the street, muttering curses as he did so. He was so angry, afraid, and worried. He couldn't believe his stupidity. He kept mentally slapping himself over and over again, until it became a regular pattern in the Mercedes. The wind howled outside and it tasted like cold, salted ice.

Every time the car turned, Ryuichi and Tatsuha felt like they were on a roller coaster, one that, in the end, killed you. They couldn't help but shiver silently. Ryuichi even grabbed Tatsuha's arm for comfort and warmth. With his other hand, he held Kumagoro desperately. He looked like a frightened kitten, one who knew nothing of the danger he was about to face. Tatsuha tried his best to stay calm, but he was failing miserably. He had no clue what was so important to his brother, but he knew that it wouldn't be good. And it definitely had something to do with Shuichi. That was what worried Tatsuha the most.

'But why did bro think I got hit by a car?' Tatsuha wondered. 'He looked so worried… I guess he DOES care about me. But still, he said Mika told him that. Sis said that I got hit, and was at the hospital… Was she playing a trick on him? She'd never go THAT far, at least to my understanding. But…who called and told bro that I got hit then? Does that have something to do with the thing he just realized?' Tatsuha paused and "Hmmm"-ed a few times before Ryuichi hit him with Kumagoro.

"Sorry…" Ryuichi whispered. In one motion, he grabbed Kumagoro and hid his face with it. "I didn't mean to. I just got…nervous…" Ryuichi started to shiver. "Please forgive me, Tat!" His voice was muffled and quiet.

"It's fine" Tatsuha assured his god. He patted Ryuichi's head and sighed. "We're all a bit tense, especially bro. So, I forgive you." Ryuichi let out a relieved sigh and put Kumagoro next to him, no longer covering his face. He smiled softly to Tatsuha before looking away. He was glad that his friend wasn't mad at him; he hated when people were mad at him.

'I hope Shuichi is okay…' Ryuichi thought. 'Mr. Yuki seems really worried about him… What if he's hurt? Then he can't sing and be sparkly anymore! No, he'll be fine! We'll get there in time to save Shuichi! But, what exactly am I supposed to be worried about?' Ryuichi's eyes drooped. He was confused and afraid, not a good combo for the childish singer. The day had started so well, too….

_(8PM) The audience was huge, and the lines to get inside had been stretched for miles. People all over the world came, and they sat down in their seats. They all anxiously waited for their god, Ryuichi Sakuma to start. The instruments were lined up on the stage, waiting to be played. The mic stood, waiting for Ryuichi to sing his glorious voice into it. _

_Some people in the audience were chanting Ryuichi, Tohma and Noriko's name. Others were screaming loudly, demanding to see their favorite band. Some jumped up and down. Some danced like no one was watching. Others just sat patiently, which was rare to see at a Nittle Grasper concert. One person in the audience was the most obsessedfan there, Tatsuha Uesugi. _

_Tatsuha was wearing a white shirt with black pants. His sister forced him to wear it, because she wanted him to wear 'appropriate' clothes. She knew that if Tatsuha could, he would go to the concert naked. That's why even after forcing the outfit on Tatsuha (it was quite entertaining to watch…) she had guards watch Tatsuha's every move until the end of the concert. They were surrounding Tatsuha at the moment, but they made sure that they didn't block his view of the stage. _

_Even though he was being watched by guards, Tatsuha was overjoyed. Every concert with Ryuichi Sakuma in it was Heaven on Earth to him. Ryuichi was his god, and the stage was Heaven's so-called clouds. Yes, Ryuichi was on a cloud, so to speak. No one could touch him, emotionally or physically, if he didn't want them to. He controlled everything when he was in his Heaven. But Ryuichi was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Noriko or Tohma. _

_Tatsuha jumped up and down in his seat and started to scream Ryuichi's name over and over again. The guards, all dressed in black andbald, looked at Tatsuha with bewilderment as he proceeded to dance merrily. It was a strange sight for the dignified, strong guards. They would never forget it; that was their source of entertainment for the day. _

_Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the lights from the stage lit up. The lights were many different colors, and they skipped across the stage. Tatsuha's eyes grew bigger and bigger, until Ryuichi Sakuma finally emerged from backstage. _

_Ryuichi was wearing a button-up white dress shirt that had most of the buttons undone. His pants were black leather ones. His hair looked wild and exotic and he had a mischievous smile on his face. Tatsuha drooled and drowned some of the guards.Ryuichi went up to the mic, his beautiful eyes darting around the stage. Noriko and Tohma emerged from backstage as well and they got into their positions. But they weren't the ones everyone was looking at. It was Ryuichi Sakuma, their god, in his serious mode. _

_As the band began to play, magic ran through the air. Everyone could feel it move through them as Ryuichi began to sing. His angelic, perfect voice made everyone freeze. They were stunned. Ryuichi WAS a god, the god of music. As the words passed through Ryuichi's lips, Tatsuha was mesmerized, as was the rest of the crowd. And the song went on…_

_(8AM) Twelve hours later, and a thousand encores later, the concert finally ended. It was a sad moment when the exhausted Ryuichi told the audience that it was finally over. Everyone had groaned, wanting more, even though the concert ran very late. Tatsuha was the saddest of them all. He wanted to see Ryuichi and hear his wonderful voice. It was an addiction, one that he made no effort to break. _

_The guards were dismissed, and Tatsuha was grateful. He looked at his watch and gasped in horror. It was 8:05PM! His train left in five minutes! 'Oh shit!' Tatsuha thought angrily. 'Mika's gonna kill me! Dammit! I'll never see Ryuichi in concert again! The misery! They'd better have TVs and CD players in Heaven so I can watch my honey from above!' _

"_Tatsuha!" Ryuichi called, back to his childish demeanor.He came rushing down to Tatsuha in a disguise. (It was a bunny costume) He looked worried, and he gave Tatsuha a concerned glance. Tatsuha was frozen. He was rejoicing inside his head, but he kept a cool exterior. He didn't want to flip out in front of his idol, again. "What's wrong?" _

"_Ah, can I tell you outside?" Tatsuha asked, slightly happier. 'I might die, but I'll die happy!' he thought logically. Ryuichi paused and scratched his head for ten seconds before responding. He nodded, and Tatsuha cheered mentally. He got to talk to his god outside!_

_Ryuichi led Tatsuha backstage. There was an exit there for the musicians to get out without being swarmed by rabid fan girls and boys. It was quite convenient, for the musicians of course. To the fans, it was the devil. But now, Tatsuha was grateful that it was there, because he got to walk out with Ryuichi Sakuma! It was another advantage to having Tohma Seguchi as his brother-in-law. _

_When they got outside, Tatsuha directed them to an alley. "We can talk privately in here" Tatsuha told the childish rock star. Ryuichi nodded happily and skipped with Tatsuha into the alleyway. Tatsuha smirked. "Ryuichi, I'm upset because I missed the train back to Kyoto! Mika will literally kill me if I don't get back on time!" _

"_Oh, yeah…" Ryuichi muttered. "It was because my concert ran late. We had too many encores; that's what Tohma said, and he's almost always right. I'm sorry! How can I make it up to you?" Ryuichi looked upset. Tatsuha felt so sad; he didn't want his beautiful god to be unhappy. He paused and looked thoughtful. Suddenly, Ryuichi jumped up happily. "How about I ask Mr. K to come pick us up by helicopter?" _

"_Really?" Tatsuha demanded. He wiped away his drool and smiled sweetly. "That's so nice of you Ryu!" He hugged Ryuichi and inhaled his scent. Ryuichi smiled proudly. "But wait, won't Tohma and Noriko be looking for you?" Ryuichi shook his head. _

"_I was supposed to leave in a prettiful limo" Ryuichi explained. "I already cancelled them. Tohma had to get back to NG, because he had some paperwork to do. And Noriko wanted to get home to her husband and daughter really quickly." Tatsuha nodded with understanding. He was glad that there were no complications. Mika would kill him if he got Ryuichi in trouble. _

"_Thanks Ryu!" Tatsuha said, and he let go of Ryuichi sadly. "You're the best!" Ryuichi smiled. "I would've been sulking out on the street if you hadn't volunteered to help!" Ryuichi nodded. _

_Suddenly, Tatsuha's cell phone began to ring. Ryuichi nodded, and let Tatsuha excuse himself. Regretfully, Tatsuha answered his phone. "Hello, Tatsuha Uesugi here!" he answered. "Who could be calling on this glamorous, wonderful, spectacular, radiant day?" He let out a chuckle. But there was a short period of silence on the other line. It ended quite abruptly. _

"_Are on the train?" It was Mika. She seemed angry, like always. "'Cause if you're not, I'm going to run you over, and then burn you." Her voice was venomous and deadly. She was definitely in a bad mood, and was not to be messed with. Tatsuha gulped. "Answer me, Tatsuha, or I'll have to send those guards again." Tatsuha checked the caller ID just to be sure. Yup, it was Mika alright. _

"_Ah!" Tatsuha squeaked. Ryuichi noticed Tatsuha's distress and smiled sympathetically. "Uh, yeah! I'm on the train right now!" Ryuichi made train sound affects, quite well actually. Tatsuha gave Ryuichi a thumbs up and smiled. "Woops! Mika, I'm gonna have to call you back! The lady next to me dropped her stuff, and I want to help her!"_

"_Tatsuha!" Mika threatened. "Don't you dare ha—" Tatsuha quickly hung up his phone and turned it off. He sighed in relief when he could no longer hear Mika's bickering. Ryuichi laughed with Tatsuha._

And then, Yuki had come by, and he heard the rest, or so Ryuichi thought. But it was a good day, before they saw Yuki. Nothing seemed to be capable of going wrong, but everything backfired. Ryuichi's singing friend was now in trouble! And Yuki seemed distressed, as did Tatsuha. All Ryuichi had wanted to do was sing! The car continued to move, but Ryuichi was too deep in thought to notice.

"We're here!" Tatsuha cried. Ryuichi turned his attention to outside the window. It was right in front of the apartment. Yuki hastily parked his Mercedes before rushing out of it. Ryuichi and Tatsuha weren't far behind. Yuki pushed the door open and ran inside. Ryuichi and Tatsuha followed him obediently.

"SHUICHI!" Yuki yelled.

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(1) I'm gonna be nice and give you guys a hint. He's not getting raped. I know, I know, thank me in the review! LOL!

A/N: How was it? Did I do okay? I hope so... Yeah, the flashback thing was unnecessary, but I did it for fun. Dunno, I needed some entertainment... And, I'm quite happy because I got some reviews from well-known authors on gurabite, and they were positive! I'm getting somewhere, I guess! Anyone know what Anoiji is gonna ask? I'll give you a clue if you review! (Hey, that rhymes!)

Remember, please read and review "Just a Guilty Obsession" to get the BIG SURPRISE. THANKS FOR READING!


	13. Chapter 12

OK! I finally updated! I've been super busy! And this chapter is only 3100 words... Darn... I know, this chapter reveals almost everything! YAY! PLZ READ AND REVIEW! Let me say this first: everyone is shocked in this chapter, so the reactions are weird. And I have another surprise in store! GO ME! Alright, enjoy!

SLIGHT SWEARING!

Dedicated to Loveless19 for agreeing to draw a fic for this story! -hugs-

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. -sobs-

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Chapter 12: Behind These Crimson Eyes

Everything seemed to slow down for Yuki's voice. Tatsuha and Ryuichi, both united by threads as thick as the world itself, slowed down. Their eyes widened slowly, and their mouths opened slowly but surely. Even Anoiji, the red-eyed monster, slowed down in his torture of the innocent angel before him. He was trespassing in angelic domain, and Yuki didn't appreciate that. Yuki's words commanded everyone around him to look at his furious face. It was filled with hatred, love, concern and worry as well, making his eyes look like blades. One gaze and you'd be blind for a moment in time, no matter who you were.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Yuki demanded Anoiji, who held his hand above Shuichi's head. Yuki's eyes narrowed and they set on Shuichi's face. Yuki didn't like anyone hurting or scaring HIS pink fluff ball. Shuichi's face was hidden by his hands, which were trembling with fear. The boy hadn't even noticed anyone had come into the room. He believed that he was still trapped in his cage, with no one able to hear his desperate cries, and he was sure that no one was going to help him. He let out a small sob, and Yuki paused to examine Shuichi from afar as did Tatsuha and Ryuichi. None of them knew what to do. They were stunned.

Shuichi's hair was a mess. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. His whole body was covered in scrapes, cuts and bruises. Naturally, he didn't look well. And that did not please Yuki, or Tatsuha, or Ryuichi. Their eyes gleamed with hatred and anger. Yuki opened his mouth to speak once again, and gave Tatsuha and Ryuichi the hint to stay still.

"I asked you a question" Yuki said clearly and as calmly as he could muster. He wished he could just kill Anoiji right there and then, but there was a risk that Anoiji could hurt Shuichi more, or do something to the degree of using the boy as a hostage. He would have to plan his rescue strategically. But how could he possibly do that when his heart was wrenching from looking at his suffering lover? "I would like an answer, bastard. You can't go around hurting my baka and get away with it." Shuichi still stayed in his position and he gave no signs that he actually realized anyone was there.

"Ah, Yuki…" Anoiji said softly. He stood up straighter and faced Yuki, still close enough to Shuichi for a slap or kick though. "How nice to see you here…." He seemed annoyed, and a bit surprised, but he wasn't nervous at all. He seemed very smug. "I didn't expect you to come this early." He let out a smile from his red lips, and his eyes darted around the room. "I guess I've been caught, eh?" He chuckled, like the situation was amusing and not scary. He was outnumbered, but he didn't seem to mind. He actually looked like he was enjoying it.

"What's so funny?" Yuki demanded. He was trying his best not to just charge at Anoiji, but he knew better. Anoiji was prepared for almost anything at that moment. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be so calm and he'd have run away already. He had something in store, Yuki was positive. "And WHY were you hurting Shuichi?"

"YEAH!" Ryuichi chided, looking at his silent friend sympathetically. He was confused, but still angry enough not to care. But, who was this man who hurt his shiny friend? Ryuichi wanted to know that if he could, later, because it wasn't on the top of his list of priorities; saving Shuichi was. Ryuichi, the five-year old at heart, became the serious Ryuichi Sakuma, thirty-one years old at heart and mind. "We can call the cops right now, you know. We all have cell phones with us. The police will come running once they hear this, so I wouldn't act so cocky if I were you." Anoiji let out an evil laugh. Ryuichi glowered.

"I guess my plan failed" Anoiji observed, ignoring Ryuichi's comment. He looked over to Hiro, who was still unconscious on the floor. "But at least I had some fun torturing people again. I haven't done it in so long, you know? It's such a pleasure to be here." He paused and looked at Yuki with a smirk. He knew this next line was going to hurt. "It's so fun to watch my son scream. I had forgotten how beautiful it sounded, the cries and the winces." Yuki glared mercilessly. He was breaking his composure, but he tried to hide it. "I remember it a few years ago, when I left my family. I had to leave the screams behind. It was quite sad." Yuki grew a passion for hating this man immediately. Anyone who enjoyed when Shuichi screamed in fear was a demon, or a monster.

"Tell us what's going on!" Tatsuha yelled. "I think you had something to do with Yuki coming to find me, thinking I was in the hospital! I want some answers! We're gonna call the cops, and you'll be arrested!" Tatsuha was fuming. "Especially since Shuichi wasn't the only person you hurt." He pointed to Hiro and frowned. Yuki and Ryuichi blinked, a bit worried about the guitarist.

"Oh, I wouldn't call the cops if I were you" Anoiji said matter-of-factly. "Do you want me to kill poor Shuichi here?" He pointed mockingly to the silent Shuichi and took a knife out of his pocket. "I found this pretty thing in the kitchen. You were in such a rush to get to your brother after my girlfriend called you." There were several gasps from the group. "Oh, she's good at imitating voices. She had been tracking Mika down from afar, and copied her voice on to a CD. Then she perfected the voice so that it would sound exactly like Mika Seguchi's. And the great Yuki Eiri fell for it. THAT entertained me until I got here, you know."

"So it was you!" Tatsuha yelled. "You tricked my bro into getting out of the house, just so that you could get to Shuichi? How dirty! You're a monster, a filthy monster!" Anoiji rolled his eyes and played around with the knife carelessly. It bewildered everyone. How could he be so calm and self-assured?

"It was more than that" Anoiji said. "It won't help you to know, so I might as well tell you, eh?" He didn't even give the group a chance to reply. He simply continued to explain. He wanted them to be upset, to suffer. That was his only purpose in life. "It all started when I used to beat Shuichi and my wife a long time back. I would lock my wife in her room so that she wouldn't tell anyone. I even took away the phone. It was stupid though, because she was too scared to say anything. At first, Shuichi would say nothing. And I'd take him to my friends' houses so we could take turns hitting him. If Shuichi was bad, I'd bring along my wife. It worked well, and I even left him alone a few times because I knew he was too afraid to do anything."

"But then, Shuichi spilled to his older friend, Ritsuka. I heard him explain how scared he was, and I was angry. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone, because I told him to keep his mouth shut. And when anyone disobeys me, I get angry. So, I killed Ritsuka so he wouldn't tell anyone. Shuichi was devastated, of course, but he didn't struggle as much after I hid the body. And when the search party arrived, I disappeared." No one knew what to say. Was this the past of that hyper pink-haired baka they thought they knew so well? Was this what he had to put up with every single day? It amazed Ryuichi, Tatsuha and Yuki to no end. They didn't know how to react. How could they?

Anoiji continued non-chalantly. "Years later, I got a letter in the mail. It said that I was suspected of killing Ritsuka. They must've reopened the case or something due to new evidence or the family complaining. I knew that I had no witnesses on my side, and it seemed quite suspicious that I left right after he died. So, I decided to go after Shuichi. I wanted to make him my witness, and say that he saw his mother kill Ritsuka. Everyone would believe him, because he is Shuichi Shindou, and the judges could just be fishing for money." Shuichi took his hands away from his face and punched Anoiji in the stomach weakly. "Oh, it seems like Shuichi doesn't like that idea, does he?"

"Mother killed NO ONE!" Shuichi yelled hoarsely. He still hadn't realized that anyone else was in the room. "SHE did nothing, you bastard! She's not going to jail! I won't let you! YOU killed Ritsuka! YOU should go to jail for killing Ritsuka!" He could no longer talk because he was so tired and sore. He broke out in tears. Yuki snapped and began to run towards Shuichi. He couldn't take it anymore!

"Nope!" Anoiji said sternly. He placed the knife right below Shuichi's neck. Yuki stopped short and Shuichi froze in fear, finally noticing that Yuki, Tatsuha and Ryuichi were there. "You can't come any closer, mister." He growled and Shuichi whimpered. "I need him to be a witness for me, or else I'll kill all of you. And don't think that I won't want to kill him because I need him as a witness. If he can't be a witness, he might as well be dead." Tatsuha chuckled angrily.

"And HOW do you expect to kill us all?" Tatsuha asked sarcastically. "I don't think you know karate or anything." Ryuichi remained silent, still glaring at Anoiji. He was thinking of what to do. His hatred was roaming inside him, not outside in the open. "You really think we're scared for OURSELVES?" Ryuichi's eyes traveled to Hiro and he remained as calm as possible.

"I think you forgot that I have your friend right here, Shuichi" Anoiji reminded them gently. "Would you like to accidentally hurt him more as you strike me?" Everyone was silent. "Good. I'd advise you all to keep your mouths shut about this. And I will convince Shuichi to talk. If he doesn't, his mother will pay the price. I have my buddies right outside her house, waiting for my orders. I assure you, my plan will not be messed up anymore. It was already messed up because you luckily found your brother somehow, though I'm still wondering about the details. I'm guessing he missed the train back to Kyoto and paired up with that brainless singer over there."

"You're an asshole" Ryuichi stated quietly, finally getting the urge to speak. "Why would you want to hurt people in the first place? You hurt your own wife and child and killed an innocent person, and you don't regret it at all? That's quite sad, I must say. And now you're being a coward and trying to get Shuichi to help you, by hurting your X-wife again?" Anoiji pondered for a moment, and he slowly pulled the knife away from Shuichi's neck. Shuichi let out a sigh in relief. He didn't dare look at his friends, because he was afraid and didn't want them to be here. He never wanted any of his friends (or lover) to get hurt again. It hurt too much the first time. He had learned his lesson.

"Well yes, it is a bit strange" Anoiji said. "But I personally don't care. I just want to live as long as possible, so I can continue to make others suffer. I like when other people scream, but not as much as I like it when Shuichi screams. I don't care who dies or why. I only have a girlfriend because she proved useful in this situation, and she's very good in the sack. So, I don't see any other whys you can come up with at the moment. Do you?"

Yuki began to watch Shuichi carefully, observing his every movement. (There were few things he could observe though.) 'And I thought I had a bad past' Yuki thought sadly. He felt helpless and vulnerable, his two least favorite feelings. It was horrible to watch Shuichi whimper and sulk, not even recognizing anything from the outside world. Shuichi was trapped in his cage yet again, and Yuki could do nothing to help him. Yuki was trapped, suffocated, afraid, and angry.

Yuki thought of how it would be like to be beaten every day by his father, and to watch his mother (who died when he was younger) suffer endlessly. He knew it would be miserable and terrifying, to have no one in the world who you could trust and tell how you feel, because they could be in danger. Shuichi had to suffer for years, and then he finally snapped and told his friend. (Ritsuka brought up why Shuichi always wore long-sleeves and jeans in the summer, and never went swimming in the pool when Shuichi spilled.) And he got punished for caring about himself for the first time. So why would Shuichi ever try to think of himself again?

Yuki also felt trapped and helpless. What could he do to save his lover? He couldn't just sit there, but attempting to attack Anoiji in this situation wouldn't work either. So what could he do? He was trapped, and there was no rescue party coming to get him. 'Will Shuichi do what Anoiji says and betray his friend, letting his father run loose?' Yuki wondered, not knowing what else to do. 'Or will he let his mother be beaten again?' Yuki shuddered. He liked neither of the options presented to him, and he was positive that Shuichi agreed with him. Right now, Yuki felt worthless to the person he loved the most. And that was yet another horrible feeling he was experiencing at the moment.

But he felt angry. Wait, angry wasn't the word. It was fury. He wanted to kill Anoiji with his bare hands. He wanted to rip that man's head off, literally. He hated anyone who would dare hurt his fluff ball. But this man wasn't even guilty or sad at all. He enjoyed the 'pleasure of the screams', which Yuki considered disgusting.

And a part of him was a bit annoyed. Shuichi had forced him to tell about HIS past, but Shuichi never said anything about his own past. It was frustrating, but Yuki wasn't about to get mad at Shuichi. Shuichi was already going through enough at the moment. Yuki just desperately wished that Shuichi had told him earlier. It would've made things easier for both of them. But Yuki also understood how awkward and uncomfortable it would've been to talk about his father. And it wasn't like Yuki ever asked, or pretended to care about Shuichi's life.

Yuki was mostly worried though. His lover was in danger, from his own father. Yuki had to admit, his father was annoying, but not even comparable to Anoiji. That guy was pure-evil; he wanted to either kill Shuichi or use him for his own selfish purposes. 'That guy has no life' Yuki thought, trying to lighten his mind. It wasn't working, obviously. He groaned and looked at Shuichi's pleading eyes. 'Is he asking me to help, or to leave?'

"Yuki, just don't say anything and leave…" Shuichi whispered. "Ryuichi, Tatsuha, you guys as well… I'll be fine, okay? I don't need another person to get hurt…" He winced at the memory. He pictured Ritsuka's blood pouring on to the floor, and all he could do was watch, watch his best and only friend die, because HE was being selfish, or so he thought. 'I let Ritsuka die; I won't let it happen again because I can't live through that again…' He remembered the tears, the pain, the frowns, the fake smiles and laughs, the gray gravestone, the red, and the evil behind those crimson eyes…

It was too horrible to remember sometimes. Shuichi couldn't handle all the memories at once. He realized that he was going to cry. But he couldn't! 'I can't!' he thought angrily. 'Yuki, Tatsuha and Ryuichi are gonna die because of me! And Yuki… I love him, and I only end up hurting him! He's such a wonderful person inside... And I'm making him feel bad because I have a little problem to deal with! Will I ever learn? Even after Ritsuka, I'm still a walking disaster… My dad isn't the evil one. I am. I'm so stupid… Why would anyone try to help me?' He turned his head around and cried silently.

"Shuichi?" Yuki breathed. His voice was dripping with concern and worry. "Shuichi, are you crying? You should be. This monster beat you, and I failed to help you…" Shuichi shook his head angrily and turned around.

"No Yuki!" Shuichi yelled, tears dripping down his chin. "Every time someone finds out about Anoiji, they get hurt! Just, please, leave! I don't want to see Ritsuka die again… It was too scary… I don't want to hurt anyone again…" He let out a whimper, and Anoiji smirked. He began to talk to Tatsuha and got the man riled up. He had to wait until Shuichi was done talking before he would escape, otherwise it would be more difficult to get the boy to cooperate.

"Shu…" Yuki whispered. His voice escalated. "It was Anoiji who causes all this, not you! You weren't the one who killed Ritsuka! You weren't the one who called me, saying that Tatsuha had been in a car accident! It was Anoiji! Stop blaming yourself! Think of how Ritsuka would've felt if he walked into your room and found you dead? He'd know that you never told him what was going on, and then he probably would've killed himself! You shouldn't suffer like this and stay quiet!"

"But Yuki…" Suddenly, Anoiji snapped. He was tired of waiting. He slapped Shuichi hard in the head, causing Shuichi to bonk his head against the wall, hard. Shuichi's eyes closed instantly and his head titled to one side. Yuki's jaw dropped. His fury rose to its peak. He was about to charge at Anoiji, but Ryuichi, the ever-silent one, held him back.

"LET ME GO, YOU BRAINLESS IDIOT!" Yuki demanded. He kicked and punched Ryuichi, but Ryuichi didn't seem to care about that. He was focused on Anoiji. "THAT BASTARD HURT HIM! LET ME KILL HIM! LET ME RIP HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Ryuichi put his finger over Yuki's lips and glowered at Anoiji. The man seemed to be amused by the struggle.

"I'M HERE!" Everyone turned their attention to the doorway. They each saw a flash of blond…

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PLZ READ AND REVIEW AND I MIGHT UPDATE TOMORROW! THANK YOU! 


	14. Chapter 13

Hello everyone! It's Dejichan! This is the finale of "Returning Relations"! I'm a bit sad, because I love this story! And so many people enjoyed it! -smiles- After this fic, I have two more in my mind. One is an AU fic, which I believe you'll all enjoy. I've been planning it for awhile, and it's gonna be really interesting! I'll have details added to my profile shortly. And the sequel of "Lies, Deceit and Unwanted Pain" is coming, too. Any title ideas for thatwould be greatly appreciated! It will also be awesome, since my writing has improved a lot since that story! Read "LDAUP" if you want to enjoy my sequel! Well, read and enjoy!

**Dedicated to JulinX, because her computer has a virus. I wish her good luck! **

Gah! I almost forgot the disclaimer... EEP...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. If you sue me, I'll cry.

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Chapter 13: Fiery Hearts of the Finale

"_Ritsuka, why do people hurt other people?" Shuichi asked timidly as he walked home with his best friend. "I mean, I don't understand what would drive anyone to do something like that. You usually have pretty good answers for things, so I'm guessing you have some sort of idea." _

"_Why do you always ask so many questions?" Ritsuka joked. "Ugh, well I don't know why people do that exactly. Some are just plain evil, and others are crazy. Most of them are mad though." Shuichi frowned. 'Is my dad mad at me?' he thought. 'Is that why it hurts all the time?' "Did that help?"_

"_Yeah, thanks Ritsuka!" Shuichi cheered. He hugged his friend tightly, and Ritsuka chuckled. _

"_Moron." _

"I'M HERE!" a familiar voice called. Everyone, except Shuichi, in the room looked over to the door, where they saw a flash of blond. There was a short silence before someone realized what was going on. Tatsuha's eyes widened. He gasped. He couldn't believe his eyes, nor could anyone else.

"K!" Tatsuha shouted. Lo and behold, K stood at the doorway, guns and all. It was their savior in the darkness, their last hope. When everything seemed impossible and undoable, the hero came. And he gave them a glimmer of hope, and each of the good-hearted people gripped it tightly in their hearts. It was all they had at the moment.

K looked like a fierce father who had just seen his son hurt. His eyes narrowed as he aimed the gun. "K! How did you know we were here?" K smirked. He silently pointed towards Hiro with his free hand. Hiro was now wide awake, raising his cell phone up for everyone to see. Yuki, Tatsuha and Anoiji stared blankly at Hiro. Ryuichi smiled smugly.

"You see, I realized exactly what Hiro was trying to do" Ryuichi explained calmly and smoothly. "So, as to not ruin his plan, I distracted Anoiji. I got him involved in a discussion, so he wasn't paying attention to his second hostage. Hiro called K, who called some others and rushed over. It was a smart and quick decision, one I would've done myself. I didn't want any of you to try to get to Anoiji and risk your lives when K could do the job much easier. He has guns, and years of training, unlike all of you here. That's why I held you two back, Yuki and Tatsuha."

Tatsuha and Yuki nodded hesitantly. They were too surprised to think clearly. It was astounding. Hiro was calling K this whole time? They were saved before they had even realized the true possibilities of the danger at hand. And they had no clue. Both felt a bit angry at their obliviousness, but they were glad that help had come. It was amazing that Hiro had been able to do that without being caught, and that Ryuichi came up with a diversion so quickly.

"W-what?" Anoiji demanded. He glowered at Hiro, and put his hand into a fist. "This is a damn joke! There were NO foils in my plan! NONE! I've been planning this for days on end! That damn bastard in the corner lied! He couldn't have… He didn't…. No!" Ryuichi smirked.

"Oh, but he did" Ryuichi said. "I watched him do it, too. It was quite amusing to see you going on and on about how you won, and see him dialing K's number. I had to use all my strength not to laugh." He chuckled. "Ah, but Anoiji, this is the punishment for hurting our sparkly Shuichi. No one gets away with that, I repeat, no one."

"Fuck!" Anoiji yelled, losing his composure and everything else. "Damn you all to hell, damn you! This couldn't have happened! My buddies were watching outside! No one could've gotten in here!" K rolled his eyes and patted his gun. Anoiji's eyes widened. "You…killed them?" He wasn't worried about his friends, just annoyed at his current situation.

"No, I just knocked 'em out, and roughed 'em up a bit, ya know?" K laughed heartily. Then, his face became serious again. "You chose the wrong guy to mess with, buddy. If you have problems, deal with them yourself. Don't drag Shuichi into them, especially since you've hurt him enough already." K scowled at Shuichi's unconscious form. A deep anger rose out of him, not the maniacal one. It was more like hatred and rage mixed together in a large bowl. K's eyes were practically made of steel, and they showed no vulnerability. He was a fighting machine at the moment, and he wasn't going into shut-down mode any time soon.

"Damn you" Anoiji muttered. He had finally realized that he had lost the battle. A smirk appeared on his lips. He had another trick up his sleeve. "Ah, but you can't shoot me. I have Shuichi right here." He picked Shuichi up and dragged him in front of Anoiji. His eyes gleamed. "You'll have to go right through Shuichi to get to me, which would mean killing him, am I correct?" He had regained his calm attitude once again, and his voice seemed steely, unbreakable.

K put his gun back in his pocket. His eyes gleamed mercilessly. He knew that when he had the chance, he'd easily kill Anoiji without any regrets. Yuki's anger was rising past the breaking point. To relieve himself, he punched the wall. Tatsuha was just as angry, so he joined his brother in punching the wall. Ryuichi, however, remained calm. He chuckled lightly. Hiro…was silent. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Why the hell would you be laughing at a time like this?" Yuki yelled to Ryuichi. "Shuichi's in trouble, damnitt! And you're just standing there, laughing!" Ryuichi said nothing, but he stopped laughing. Yuki was relieved. He seriously felt like smashing someone's head in if he heard Ryuichi laugh one more time.

"Well, I guess I'll be going then" Anoiji sang. He picked up the unconscious boy and slowly dragged him towards the nearest window. Yuki saw red. He went charging again, but this time it was Tatsuha who held him back. Tatsuha grabbed Yuki's arm and pulled him back. Anoiji stopped for a moment, unsure as to whether he should leave yet.

"Damnitt, stop Tatsuha, you bastard!" Yuki yelled. "Let me go! Why won't anyone let me kill him?" He glared at Tatsuha, his rage evident from his eyes. "You keep pulling me back, but why can't I just kill him? It's self-defense for fuck's sake! I won't get arrested, so there's no damn reason to keep me back! HE is going to kill Shuichi once he's done, or something else! I can't just watch him disappear like that! I can't!"

"Calm down!" Tatsuha said. "Look bro, I know you hate him. I know you want to kill him. I know you want to save Shuichi, but…" He sighed heavily. "Think for a minute. How will you feel a month after this? I know that no matter how horrible someone is, people still become guilty, even if they…" He let Yuki finish in his mind. "And what would Shuichi think of you then?" Yuki silenced himself. Tatsuha let go of his brother's arm with a relieved smile. "Glad you understand me." He whispered into Yuki's ear.

"Don't worry, we'll get Shuichi back. And we'll have Anoiji pay in a different way, I assure you." Yuki made no comment. He remembered Kitazawa, and how guilty he felt afterwards, even though the teacher did the unspeakable. And Shuichi would probably never be able to look at Yuki the same way every again. Yuki had enough on his guilty conscious at the moment.

"Ah, okay, while you two chat away, I'll be on my way" Anoiji said. "Hey, that rhymes. How ironic." He chuckled. "Well, it doesn't matter now. Keep your mouths shut or Shuichi here will die. And if that isn't enough, I'll kill his mother as well. And you know I'm serious. I don't hesitate to kill, and neither do my men. Even though they were knocked out, they still kill easily, like cutting butter."

"Why are you doing this?" K demanded. His hand reached for his gun, just in case. He wanted to be prepared if Anoiji became preoccupied. Then K could just shoot him straight in the heart, and it'd be all over. "I don't see the point for a father to kidnap their own son for fun." Everyone looked at K grimly.

"No, no, no" Anoiji said. He was a bit annoyed at all the detours, but he wanted K to suffer as he heard the tale as well. Anoiji loved telling it to others, especially women he met at the bar. He'd tell them the story the morning after though, and they'd run away. Then Anoiji didn't have to worry about them sticking around. It was quite convenient.

"I have a reason" he assured the blond-haired man. "You see, when Shuichi was a lot younger, I would beat him, and his mother, when I felt like it. My wife was submissive and never told anyone what was going on. She was smart, but stupid at the same time. And Shuichi was too afraid to do anything as well. I wasn't worried. But then, Shuichi over here decided to spill it to his best friend, Ritsuka. I was listening in from the doorway. I heard the confession, and I was pissed."

"So, I did the only thing I could. I killed Ritsuka. Shuichi was obviously furious with me, but he practically hid himself in a shell afterwards, especially after I hid the body. Once the search party came, I broke up with my wife and disappeared."

"Years later, I got a message in the mail that they reopened Ritsuka's case, and that I was a suspect. Now, I don't want to go to jail. I had to find someone close to Ritsuka to be a witness on my side. I'm going to make Shuichi tell the court that I didn't kill Ritsuka, but that his mother did. I already had the motives planned out. Everything was set. All I needed was Shuichi. I returned to Japan and pretended to be the dad that changed. I knew Shuichi would listen to me, even if he didn't believe a word I was saying. He was stunned that I had returned, and I think he was worried about your reaction, Mr. Yuki." He let that sink in for a moment.

'He…didn't tell me because he was worried about how I'd react?' Yuki thought. 'That doesn't make sense… Why would he be worried? What did he think I'd do? I don't get it…' After a few seconds of thinking, it finally hit Yuki. 'He thought that I'd be angry! He thought I'd be mad that he made me tell him my secrets, but he didn't tell his. He must feel guilty… Sure, I'm a bit annoyed, but my secrets weren't life-threatening. Kitazawa is dead, and was dead when I told him. There were no worries, so I understand why he didn't say anything, but he didn't think that… So he risked his life to make sure I wouldn't be angry at him? If he dies, I'm gonna be furious!'

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Anoiji asked Yuki in a sweet, mocking voice. "To know that your lover wouldn't tell you something this important because he was afraid you'd get angry. You must feel horrible, eh? I mean, when I first realized that he had a boyfriend, I was a bit worried. After the first meeting, I knew I was safe. But you were suspicious. I tried my best to clear them, but I guess that in the end you figured it out. A tad too late though, neh?"

K was stunningly silent. He didn't, couldn't believe his ears. 'Shuichi had it that tough, and he still acted like a happy, carefree idiot? His mother and he were beaten and his best friend was killed by his father, and he kept kicking. You'd never think that his past was that horrible by the way he acts, all happy-go-lucky and happy. It's amazing. But I have to concentrate and wait for a good time to strike.' K studied Anoiji, and where Shuichi was. Shuichi was still right in front of Anoiji. It was still too risky to shoot there. 'Damn.' But K still had some hidden hope left in him. There was something Anoiji overlooked.

Yuki, meanwhile, practically had steam coming out of his ears. He growled angrily and let out a frustrated, dissatisfied sigh. He concluded that today was probably the worst day in his life, even worse than the day he killed Kitazawa. He felt like crying, the same as when he killed his teacher, but he held them in. He had to act tough, for Shuichi's sake. Or maybe it was for his sake; he didn't know for sure at the moment, and it didn't matter either.

Tatsuha, on the other hand, was trying to stay calm. He needed to, though he couldn't understand why. His brother needed him, but it was also something else, something he didn't think he would ever truly "get". He wished that he had never gone to the concert. Then, maybe this would've never happened. Maybe Shuichi would be okay, and Anoiji would've been caught somehow. Maybe Yuki would've figured out what was going on sooner, and stopped all this. But the fact was, Tatsuha DID go to the concert, and something similar probably would've happened even if he didn't. He sighed.

"Tatsuha, can I punch you, just to make me feel better?" Yuki pleaded angrily with sarcasm dripping from his voice. Tatsuha turned ghostly white after getting out of his deep thoughts. He knew how hard his brother punched from previous experiences in his childhood, and he didn't particularly want to re-experience it. He still had a bruise on hisarm from the last time, (when they were kids)and it still hurt! Tatsuha shook his head. Yuki rolled his eyes. "I was kidding, moron." Tatsuha smiled, definitely relieved.

BAM! Everyone looked towards the direction of the sound. It was coming from Shuichi and Anoiji's direction! They gasped. Had someone killed/injured Shuichi? Their fears were destroyed once they saw the sight before them. Only K and Ryuichi weren't bewildered. Anoiji's eyes were blank, and blood was dripping from his mouth. He collapsed to the ground, his head hitting the floor hard. His eyes closed, and there was only silence. Blood poured from his back. He had been shot from behind...

From the window, they saw a figure. It had blond hair and a hat. Yuki immediately recognized the person as Tohma. Tohma had…killed Anoiji? How did he know what was going on?

"I called him too, ya know" K reminded the others. Ryuichi nodded firmly. Yuki rushed to Shuichi's side and picked up his unconscious lover. He didn't even want to hear the explanations anymore. He was just glad to have Shuichi back in his arms. Shuichi wearily flickered his eyes open. He first saw Yuki, and was overjoyed. Yuki didn't look mad; he looked scared and concerned! But then Shuichi's eyes strayed to Anoiji. Anoiji was…dead…

"_Ritsuka, I have something to say…" Shuichi murmured in his room. Ritsuka raised his brow, because Shuichi sounded serious, and that was rare. _

"_Go on" he encouraged. "I'll listen to you." Shuichi still seemed hesitant. He didn't know if this was a good idea. _

"_Well, you know my dad?" Shuichi asked. Ritsuka nodded. "Well, he hurts me mom and me and… I don't know what to do… I mean, I didn't WANT to tell you, because dad told me not to, but I'm scared for mom. She's so depressed now and…" _

"_Wait, your dad hits you?" Ritsuka interrupted. Fire appeared in his eyes as Shuichi nodded hesitantly. "Shuichi, you should've told me sooner! We have to do something!"_

"_But dad will get mad!" Shuichi protested. "He might do something…bad…" Shuichi shivered. Horrible images flashed through his mind. "But it's okay if he hits me. It's mom I'm worried about. Maybe she could… Well, something bad might happen, but can I ask for advice?" he pleaded. _

"_And what's going on now isn't bad?" Ritsuka barked. Shuichi was silenced. Ritsuka was so angry. He couldn't believe that Anoiji was hitting his own child and wife. It disgusted Ritsuka beyond measures. He cared deeply for his friend, so this hit him harder than a normal case on the TV. Suddenly, they heard the door creak open…_

"_Shuichi, have you told someone about our little secret?" Anoiji asked angrily. His hands were gloved. He slammed the door behind him. Shuichi whimpered and froze on the spot. Anoiji glowered at Ritsuka. "So now you know what I do. I guess I'll have to fix that, right?" Ritsuka growled. _

"_Why did you hurt your own family?" he demanded. "There's no excuse for that! You should go to Hell, bastard!" Anoiji laughed and pulled something from his pocket._

"_I believe you'll be the one going to hell, my dear boy" Anoiji whispered. Shuichi gasped and rushed forward. But he was too late…Anoiji had already struck the knife through Ritsuka's heart… Shuichi broke out into tears. Ritsuka was gone, because of him. One child's life had been destroyed in an instant, a boy named Ritsuka, Shuichi's first and best friend… _

"Ritsuka, it's all over now…" Shuichi murmured. Tears fell from his eyes, and he started to cry on Yuki's shoulder. "It's all over Ritsuka. He's dead… I'm so sorry…"

Tohma entered the apartment with a BANG! He had beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, and his face had softened since all of them had seen it last. "Eiri, everyone, are you alright? I got the call from K!"

"Yeah, we're okay now" Yuki whispered. He patted Shuichi's back and let Shuichi continue to cry. "Thanks Tohma…" he muttered darkly.

Hiro stood up and rushed towards Shuichi and Yuki. Tatsuha, K and Ryuichi and even Tohmafollowed close behind. They were all truly worried about their friend, and tried their best to calm him down. The previous events were so surreal; it was like this was a dream and they'd be tapped on the shoulder by someone who was trying to wake them up. But it wasn't a dream. (Once and awhile they'd pinch themselves just to make sure though.)

And Anoiji's blood continued to drip from his mouth, which had once caused Shuichi so much pain. The nightmare was finally over. Anoiji was dead, and Ritsuka could finally rest in peace knowing that his best friend was safe.

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A/N: If you want an epilouge, please review! (and youcan thank me for killing Anoiji. ;)It's quite necessary, especially to explain Tohma's actions, and all the little details and afteraffects! Thanks for reading my story! I love you all! (as friends) 


	15. Epilogue

Well, after more than two weeks of waiting, we have the epilogue of "Returning Relations"! This is my personal favorite, because it pleases me to see that so many people enjoyed this! I'm really surprised. I kind of have no idea what to say... -sighs- Thanks to all of you who reviewed and brightened my rainy days, who let me know that maybe there's a reason to live. You have my eternal thanks.

**Dedicated to everyone who has ever reviewed this story.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation.

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Epilogue

Things had happened so quickly, for everyone, that fateful day. It started out fine, just a regular day with a tint of suspicion. Okay, maybe it was a lot of suspicion, but no one would've thought this could happen. The call… Finding Tatsuha and Ryuichi playing around in an alley… Anoiji breaking into the house… Tohma shooting Anoiji from behind…

Everyone reminded themselves to thank Tohma for that later. He was their hero, especially Shuichi's. It was amazing, how he had come out from nowhere. Everyone except K and Ryuichi had been surprised. After K had gotten the call from Hiro, he immediately called Tohma and told him what was going on. Tohma was in the middle of a business meeting, but he came as soon as he could. Then K simply looked at Ryuichi secretly, and they both understood. That didn't ease the tension and fear in the room, though. (Flashback…)

Tohma rushed out of the business meeting and drove to Eiri's apartment. And then, as he realized the situation from creeping by the door, he ran out and climbed up the apartment stairs, doing several hard maneuvers in the process. He did it somehow, and he had a good view of what was going on from inside the apartment. Tohma was thankful that his business meeting left early. It looked like he had come just in time. He reminded himself to start going to church or something, because he couldn't believe his luck. He almost felt like he'd wake up, and he'd be at a large funeral. But he didn't. It wasn't a dream. (He pinched himself quickly for evidence.)

So Tohma aimed his gun carefully and listened carefully to Anoiji. What he heard surprised him and made him feel a bit guilty. Few things could make Tohma guilty, and being so mean to a person who went through that and said nothing was one of the those things. He carefully and silently opened the window with some tools that he brought. He had came well-prepared, to say the least. Then, he aimed and fired. He could almost hear the relief and shock in the room in front of him. It was surreal. But it had happened anyways. And the blood seeped through Anoiji's shirt.

Afterwards, the police came, after someone reporting a shooting. Tohma cleared out everything, and called for an ambulance for Shuichi. No one knew the extent of the damage, so they agreed to do this just to be sure. They were glad that they did. The damage was pretty bad, but not severe enough for them to be worried.

But they were anyway. It was not possible in their minds that Anoiji had really done those things to the happy-go-lucky singer. And Shuichi keeping his mouth shut, even after realizing that Anoiji was back, shocked them even more. But that wasn't the main problem. Yuki and Hiro were a bit annoyed that Shuichi hadn't told him. But they understood, to a certain degree. It still puzzled them. But they weren't the least bit angry at Shuichi. Once Shuichi was awake, they comforted him softly, trying to stop the crying. They did. Somehow.

Tohma called the police to search for Anoiji's goons and his girlfriend. They found the goons and had them arrested, but they didn't find the girlfriend. They were sure that she wouldn't show her face around anymore, especially since they found a picture of her in Anoiji's apartment. (It was a nude picture…) She probably escaped after hearing the news.

Yes, even Tohma couldn't hide this one. The fans didn't know the details, but the thought of THEIR Shu-chan being hurt by his "bastard dad" made them cry their eyes out. They had signs up everywhere, saying despicable things about Anoiji. Several hat clubs were made, and the number of members was uncountable. Every fan of Bad Luck and Shuichi joined the club without hesitation. In fact, the fan base grew ten-fold because of this. Shuichi wasn't happy though. He could do without the new fans. He'd rather never have had Anoiji attack him, no matter how much fame he gained in the process. (End of Flashback)

Shuichi was recovering. He no longer had any physical injuries, but emotionally, he was still a wreck. For quite some time, he wouldn't talk to anyone and just cry. It was too much for him to handle. The man who ruined his childhood was killed by the man who almost ruined his teenage-hood by taking away Yuki. Oh, the irony…

Shuichi came to the conclusion that the kindness he was receiving from everyone wouldn't disappear any time soon. In fact, he thought that maybe they'd be nicer all the time. But that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted the nightmares to go away, because Ritsuka and Anoiji still haunted him at night, when reality and truth wasn't available to pull him back. When Yuki wasn't able to pull him back.

Hiro, at first, was over-protective. He was constantly asking Shuichi where he was going and why. He'd sometimes follow Shuichi with his motorcycle, followed by Yuki's Mercedes. He was like a bull dog and he attacked anyone who came near to Shuichi, including fans. Oh, some of them were put into the hospital for the trauma. Yes, Hiro had become scary. But it died down after awhile. Now Hiro was just extremely kind and offered to do everything for Shuichi. And of course, he still occasionally followed Shuichi around. But it wasn't so bad, really. Hiro was always overly-kind anyways.

Suguru, after hearing the news, became mute for days. He didn't speak or eat or sleep. He was, what you could say, in shock. When K told him, he fainted, twice. How he fainted "twice", no one except K knows, and he won't tell. Even now. Suguru was overly-tolerant of Shuichi's behavior. For awhile, he handed everything to Shuichi and let him take a ten minute break every half-hour. After a bit, his behavior died down, just like Hiro's. He still yelled at Shuichi, because there were times when he couldn't do anything to help his outbursts. But then he always apologized, and he never spoke of fathers, ever. He was different, but the same.

K became odder. He followed Shuichi around, always prepared with twenty different kinds of guns for every occasion. He sometimes hired bodyguards to surround Shuichi so that no one could even see him. He fired guns at anything that moved that he wasn't familiar with. This made K lose a lot of his money from the people who sued. But he still acted positive all the time, telling everyone that the world was just waiting for him to shoot its targets and enemies. He still cackled insanely, but he stopped shooting Shuichi. Shuichi really didn't mind K's behavior much. It didn't simmer down…

Ryuichi stopped tricking Shuichi and playing tricks on him, unless it was for mere entertainment and caused no pain. Usually, he did the tricks to encourage Shuichi, but in the past they had gotten out of hand sometimes. Now they were completely under control and never caused much damage. He was still hyper-active and still repeatedly congratulated Shuichi on all his singing accomplishments. Not that Shuichi minded of course! Serious Ryuichi came out more often, but it was unnoticeable to any of his fans or people who didn't examine him closely.

Tohma didn't change much to the average person, but if you looked closely, you could see the changes. For instance, Tohma stopped interfering with Shuichi and Yuki's relationship. His excuse was that Mika was getting suspicious. No one confirmed that one, but they didn't want to. They liked to see Tohma clueless as to how pathetic his excuses were. Tohma gave Shuichi more breaks, and he congratulated Bad Luck as much as they deserved. He smiled at Shuichi, not with his I'm-going-to-ruin-your-life smile; it was genuine, and only Shuichi noticed it. But the changes were there.

Tatsuha's perverted-ness died down for months. He stopped watching porn, for exactly one month before he cracked and submitted to its "greatness". He secretly wished that there was Ryuichi-porn available, but to his dismay, it still wasn't on sale anywhere, not even eBay! (1) He visited Yuki's apartment once a month, saying that he came to visit Shuichi. Sure, he'd spend most of the time trying to get Ryuichi's whereabouts from Shuichi, but still, he and Shuichi talked more often. In fact, they went to a Nittle Grasper concert together. And best of all, Tatsuha resisted the urge to molest Shuichi senseless. He realized that RYUICHI was the one he wanted, and a copy wouldn't be enough.

Sakano was not told of any of the details. Everyone kept the newspaper away from him and they kept the TV off around Sakano for weeks, until they stopped talking about it. They knew that Sakano would have a heart attack if he knew. They didn't want that; Sakano didn't deserve such a twisted fate, so they let him be. He was suspicious, but once Tohma told him not to worry, he stopped. After all, Tohma was his secret "crush". (What a love triangle we have here!) So, Sakano stayed the same.

Yuki changed. Oh yes, he changed greatly, but only in front of Shuichi and Shuichi alone. No one else could witness his ultimate changes after the incident. To everyone else, he was still a cold-hearted bastard, but he really wasn't. He stalked Shuichi every once in awhile. He tried to kill anyone besides Tatsuha and Sakano that had black hair. He had the idea that they were all clones of Anoiji, which meant that he had to kill them. Usually, once he had a good look at the person, he walked off. But sometimes Shuichi had to drag him off… It was quite a sight to see, but Yuki used the excuse that he simply dislikes most people with black hair. Shuichi didn't buy that excuse for a minute. He had to wonder how Yuki believed that he didn't know the truth.

Yuki also never made Shuichi sleep on the couch and stopped kicking him out. Well, he did it a few times so that Hiro wouldn't notice the lack of visits from Shuichi at 1am in the morning. But Yuki always secretly followed Shuichi with his car and made sure that Shuichi had the proper clothes. Yuki tolerated Shuichi's hyper attitude. He was actually glad that it still showed up every once and awhile. Yuki had been worried that Shuichi would be broken after this, even though Anoiji was dead. He embraced the times that Shuichi was himself again, which usually occurred after Yuki brought home a box of pocky. The insults were usually easy to see through; they were jokes and sweet sarcasm. That was all.

But still, there was no "I love you" coming from Yuki's mouth, directed towards Shuichi. It was depressing, because that was all Shuichi wanted at the moment. He knew he couldn't change the past, so he no longer wanted something he could only desire and not receive. He didn't want Hiro's stalking, or K's extra security, or Ryuichi's compliments, Tohma's kindness, or even a molestation-free visit from Tatsuha, if it meant that he couldn't hear those three little words. He thought that maybe if Yuki said that, Anoiji wouldn't be as terrifying anymore and he wouldn't fear him as much. He thought that maybe it'd make him feel that everything was alright again. But it wasn't going to happen as far as Shuichi knew.

But a few days later, that changed. One day, everything in the world was right, and would always be that way…

Shuichi sat on the couch and sighed as he flipped through various channels. Ryuichi was on one channel, but he didn't feel like listening to the love song Ryuichi was currently singing. It only made the hurt more painful. It only reminded him of the three words that Yuki couldn't say, no matter what. It only reminded him of what those words reminded him of: Anoiji. It told him that Anoiji would continue to haunt him, because he was still scared and not sure of everything. It was weird logic, but it was true. Shuichi turned the TV off and slumped against the couch.

Meanwhile, Yuki sat in his study, staring at a blank screen. It was mocking him, he swore. Yuki rubbed his temple and groaned. Something was bothering him and it wouldn't let him write in peace. It was something that had been nagging him since the day he meet Shuichi, but he never exactly got around to it. And it made him feel horrible, like he was kicking a puppy every day he decided not to do this. He closed the blank Word document and sat up. He took a deep breath. This was going to be difficult.

Yuki walked out of his study and towards the TV room. He saw Shuichi slumped up against the couch, sighing. A frown appeared on Yuki's face. He didn't like what he saw. He wanted Shuichi to be happy. He came to the realization that he would have to face his fears if he wanted to make the person he cared about the most happy. It had to be done, tonight, right now. No exceptions.

He walked over to Shuichi and opened his mouth. Shuichi looked at him curiously, wondering what the blond could possibly be doing. 'Is he trying to eat flies?' Shuichi wondered. 'Hiro said that anyone who opens their mouth without saying anything wants to catch flies. Has my beloved Yuki gone mad? NO! I will save him from the evil flies!' He smiled proudly.

"Uh…Shuichi?" Yuki finally asked. Shuichi dropped the fly theory immediately. He was about to respond, but Yuki continued. "There's something I have to tell you. Don't interrupt, please…" He seemed desperate. Shuichi nodded hesitantly. "Well, I know that this Anoiji thing has you down in the dumps. And I guess my undercover feelings aren't helping. I have a feeling you notice them." Shuichi was about to say yes, but he quickly shut his mouth. "It can't be enough, because that wouldn't be fair. You tell me this every single day, and I haven't even said it once. Maybe it won't take away the nightmares, and maybe it won't make you stop running away when you hear his name, but I hope it'll help. Because it helps me when everything else piles up, and maybe it'll work for you."

There was a pregnant pause. It seemed endless, but if you were looking at the clock, you would've noticed that it was only a few seconds. "Shuichi… I l-love you…"

"Yuki…" Shuichi whispered. He rubbed his eyes, pinched himself, and repeated the same procedure. He was in disbelief. He thought this moment wouldn't ever come, but here Yuki was, telling him that he loved him! "Yuki! I love you, too!" He jumped towards Yuki and embraced him lovingly. "You're right… Even if the whole world has me down, three words from you, and everything is good again. Even when Anoiji's face will follow me around, all I need is those words, and things don't seem so bad. He can't hurt me anymore, thanks to you Yuki."

"No problem brat" Yuki said with a smirk. He leaned in for a kiss, and Shuichi accepted it graciously. 'Anything for you, anything to make you happy…' And the two lovers enjoyed the first night of their lives. It might still have the insults and occasional fight, but everything was alright in the end, because they each knew that they loved each other. And that was all they reallyneeded.

They say that true love is only a fairy tale, but reality must be an extremely long fairy tale, because Shuichi and Yuki were truly in love. True love. Something that people find, but few are able to keep.

"I'm jealous of anyone who's ever hugged you, because for that moment, they held my entire world." Unknown

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(1) I don't own Ebay. :(

Well, was it OK? I don't know... I didn't go over it or anything. I felt that I should just let everything out, so it would be the way it was destined to be, whether good or bad. Please review one last time to let me know that it wasn't THAT bad...

I have two new fics in the making, the sequel to "LDAUP" and a new AU story. Please keep your eyes open for it!


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